New Beginnings
by mkwiant
Summary: Set in an AU in which SS survives the war. This is a tale in which an American muggle moves next door and entices our lonely Potions Master and brings some new magic into his lonely life.
1. Chapter 1

Everything pertaining to the Harry Potter universe is owned by JK Rowling. I am merely a humble scribe worshiping at her altar.

This story is set in an AU in which Severus and Dumbledore (as well as various other characters) survive. I am sorry if this upsets you, but this is, after all, my happy fun time. Please let me know if you have any suggestions; I am always open to a critique. It features a romance between SS and an American OC. Lemons abound, be patient with me this is my first fanfic.

Chapter 1

HONK!, a horn blared.

"Oy, learn how to bloody drive you prick!"

Severus started, dropping the volume of Potions Weekly he had been reading before he had dozed off. It was a warm summer, and he had just returned to Spinner's End after a seemingly endless term. One day bore into the next with predictable tedium, that is, until this morning.

He stood up from the worn leather chair and looked out of his dusty window at the house next door. It had been vacant for a year; the old woman who had lived there had died the previous summer amidst the cobwebs and cats that shared her home. He had rarely seen her, as he typically flooed in and only occasionally left the house by the front door for a short walk when he was unable to bear the warm cloister of his study.

He watched as the driver of a van made rude gestures to another workman in a truck, who had parked in the middle of the road while unloading what looked to be, he supposed, carpentry tools. It made him look around his own dusty room with a somewhat dissatisfied eye. He, like his deceased neighbor, had rarely taken the time to keep up his home. He realized that sooner or later he would need to take pains to keep the place livable before it fell apart.

He looked out the window and noticed the workers stripping the paint from the exterior and hauling out what looked to be a rather dusty and moth eaten floor covering. He lifted his wide palm to his chin and stroked long masculine fingers across his angular cheek. Perhaps it was time to do something with the galleons that had accumulated in his vault. He had been richly rewarded for his role in the war. Though he was still mistrusted by many in the wizarding community, his friendship with Dumbledore and the word of such a renowned wizard had gone a long way to convincing many of his steadfast fight for the downfall of Voldemort. After the trial, he had been exhonerated; the details of his counter espionage reviled, and he had been given a large sum in recompense for his years of service to the wizarding community. The word of Harry Potter has also helped to reestablish his standing as well.

Well, if efforts were being made to rehabilitate Spinner's End, perhaps he should spend some of his own money to make the place more comfortable? The money was just moldering in that Goblin sinkhole after all. He may as well use some of it to maintain his home. He decided to pay a visit to Diagon Alley the next morning and hire the services of a home maintenance wizard.

He continued to watch as the muggles brought load after load of refuse, drywall, and dilapidated furnishings from the home. Some of the furniture looked to be in decent condition, if a little worse for the wear. They seemed to be setting some pieces aside and covering them with heavy tarps. Severus sat back down in his chair and returned his dark eyes to the pages of the magazine wondering who was moving into the home. Would he have to deal with noisy neighbors or, Merlin forbid , a family with rowdy children? He shivered with revulsion; children, he thought. Merlin be merciful.

The next morning found the muggle workers busy reclaiming the house next door. Severus finished his morning absolutions and walked down the creaking stairs to his rather shabby kitchen. He made a pot of tea and opened the cupboard to find a slightly stale loaf of bread. Well, stale toast for breakfast again. While he was a master in the potions lab, he had never quite adapted himself to maneuvering in a kitchen, preferring to subsist on whatever he could scrounge up. Consequently, he found his rangy frame typically thinned out further over the Summer holidays. Typically he popped into Hogwarts when he tired of toast and tea and required real sustenance. Occasionally he would walk up the street to a local muggle pub and grab a bite to eat. He often brought these meals home and deposited the remainder of the greasy meal in his refrigerated cupboard; these leavings would be eaten the following day.

While he cared little for his nutritional health; Severus was rather fastidious about his appearance. Though, ask any student and they would tell you that he was the greasy git of the dungeon. It was hopeless really, he washed his hair, used cleansing potions, scrubbed his teeth regularly, and kept his clothing startched, pressed, and in excellent order. He looked in the mirror to the same homely face each day. "Why bother?" he thought, but the idea of walking around unkempt and dirty made him sneer. It was the sort of behavior he associated with rag-tag men like Remus Lupin.

He sneered, which did little to improve the visage glaring back at him in the mirror.

It was warm, and he would forgo his usual frockcoat in preference for a vest which he wore over a crisp white shirt. He rolled up the cuffs of the shirt over his forearm, and he glanced to the spot where the dark mark had been. It was gone; it has disappeared the day Potter had killed the Dark Lord. While he would never be close, he respected the young wizard and was grateful for his triumph over Voldemort. He was thankful that he no longer had to look at a dark reminder of all of his failings. He remembered those without such a memento.

He looked into the mirror one last time, looked into dark eyes, a furrowed brow, and stern lips that tugged into a frown. No, he would likely never be rid of the mark that the years of his service to the Dark Lord and then Dumbledore had wrought upon him, but it was no less than he disserved. It wasn't as if he would have won any prizes for beauty as a young man, regardless of the way the years had ravaged his face. He pulled on the collar of his shirt, but it did little to hide the scar that Nagani's attack had left upon him. Madam Pomfrey had given him a unguent to take away most of the scarring, but he had refused to use it. It was a reminder to him of the mistake he had made so long ago as a foolish boy, turning to the dark seeking glory and acceptance. It was a physical mark of the damage such associations had inflicted on his soul. Like Victorian literary characters of old, he had sought reclamation in the guise of Albus Dumbledoor, but he knew he would never allow himself to forget this burden, his shame.

"Enough!" his deep baritone reverberated though the small bathroom. Time enough for such pitiful musings later. He had things to do.

Diagon Alley was rife with young wizards, many couples, out enjoying the warm summer day. Severus drew his long fingers out of his pocket and withdrew a crisp white hankerchief, which he dabbed over his face. The air was warm and close. He walked past Flourish and Blotts and down the lane to Hendelman's Household Furnishing and Repairs. He stepped into the establishment and was buffeted by a blast of cool air. He sighed. His dark eyes looked over the furniture that filled the store and spotted an elderly gentleman behind a counter.

"Ahh, and how can I help you today" the elderly wizard asked.

"I would like to acquire the services of a home maintenance wizard. My home is in need of extensive repairs." He stated brusquely. He stood ramrod straight in the entrance until the elderly wizard beckoned him with a swish of his wrinkled hand.

"Are you in need of any furnishings?" the man inquired.

"I, um, well I suppose a few pieces might be in order." He stumbled over his words. His brow furrowed in consternation. Gads but he detested this sort of thing. Severus looked out over the various couches and armchairs thinking about the rather worn and faded appearance of his furniture. It had been the furniture his mother had purchased when she had been a young and hopeful bride. The pieces only reminded him of his dreary, unhappy childhood. He decided to find a few new comfortable items to make his study more comfortable.

Mr. Hendelman cleared his throat loudly and a young witch peeked out of a doorway behind the counter. She was a thin busty blond with too much lipstick and too much rouge, and her smile was not reflected in her eyes as she took in his tall rangy frame, lank hair, and stern expression. She stepped out onto the showroom floor clearly intending to lead him to the more expensive pieces.

"I'd like something serviceable, of good quality, and moderate price." He groused.

"Well, I think you'll find these pieces to be quite fine" she tittered and pointed to several overstuffed couches covered in a gaudy velvet.

He rolled his eyes at her affectation. Hell… he was in hell.

"I think not" his dark eyes bored into her. Oh if Minerva could see this she would be in hysterics. Severus Snape picking out furniture. Thank Merlin he had not run into anyone he knew on his way into this establishment.

"Oh" she sidled up to him "but don't you think the velvet is quite luxurious" she purred.

His hooded eyes looked down at her and he snorted.

"If you are not going to show me something a little more serviceable then I am going to leave. A couch covered in velvet is not going to stand the wear and tear of time. I'd like something more durable and less showy." His eyes roamed over her with distaste and then flicked to the showroom floor. Like that.

He pointed to a simple cotton damask covered sofa with clean lines and a simple tan and brown pattern.

"Of course" she frowned , her red lips pulling down.

She looked as ridiculous as the loud sofa she stood beside. Her bright robes and brassy hair made his eyes ache. He rubbed his temple with the deft, precise fingers of his hand, pinched his nose, and prayed to Merlin that this would be over soon.

He exhaled, thinking that maybe this notion to update his furniture was an exercise in self flagellation.

An hour later he stood at the counter as Mr. Hendelman handed him a sales slip. He would go to Gringotts and get the funds needed to cover the cost as well as the estimate of the repairs and updates he has requisitioned for his home. The handi-wizard would stop by tomorrow to refinish the floors throughout the house as well as the shelves in his study. He knew a couple of painting charms that would allow him to update the cabinets in his kitchen as well as the exterior and shutters, but he required the help of a professional to install the simple tiles on the kitchen floor. He decided against reglazing the tiles in his bathroom; it could wait for another day. He was ready to leave. He did, however, splurge on a new mattress for his bed and new bedding as well. He chose simple curtains for all of the rooms keeping to neutral colors without patterns; serviceable was his motto for the day.

When he arrived home, he was pleased that he had accomplished so much, but he was not looking forward to the intrusion of the handi-wizard tomorrow. He went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror at the worn, harried visage that glared back at him. He frowned, opened the cupboard by the sink, grabbed a small crystal flask, and threw back his head downing a much needed pain potion.

He raked his teeth across his lips as he swallowed the bitter brew.

"Well Severus," he mused, "wouldn't mother be proud." He snorted, rolled his eyes at the absurdity of talking to one's self. "I really need to get out more." He thought.

Little did he know that his life was about to change, rather abruptly.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Beth sat up in the tangled covers of the hotel bed. She had arrived late the previous evening, exhausted from emotional drama and jetlag. Her mother parents had not wanted her to leave, but she needed to get away and start fresh. She realized that at Thirty-four if she didn't do something now, she likely never would. So, after the end of a very long term relationship that she thought would end in marriage but only ended in heartache, she decided to leave the country. Drastic? Yes, but she had always loved England. She had studied Medieval Literature, and she loved English history. England, a new beginning. Maybe she would finally write that book she had always wanted to write, and what a perfect title. Certainly, it was a place for new beginnings.

Of course, her main reason for moving had been the house she had inherited from her Great Aunt Helen. She had never met the woman, but she had written her as a child, when she discovered that she had a long lost great-aunt living in England. She had written her up until last year, when the elderly woman had died. She had received many packages and letters from her throughout the years. She was the recipient of many cards with cute kittens, sweaters with cute kittens on them, and various other hand knitted items covered in cat hair. Great aunt Helen was evidently was evidently a cat lover. Beth had nothing against cats, except they tended to yack hairballs on her favorite cloths. Interestingly enough, never on any of the sweaters that Aunt Helen sent, which she never wore. Aside from the occasional hairball, cats were ok; maybe she would get a cat?

Beth yawned scrunching her pert little nose and opening her mouth in a most unladylike manner. Well, there was no one around to see her mussed hair and sleepy eyes. The man who had inhabited her bed and encroached on her personal space for the last five years was gone in a puff of smoke. Or rather, cheap perfume. That's how she discovered the affair -the cloying smell of her perfume on his clothes. Matt was a bad liar. When she confronted him, he has begged her to forgive him.

"How long has this been going on," she had asked

His eyes had grown large and he grabbed the back of his neck with his large meaty hand. It was a nervous gesture. "Just the once." His eyes shifted left then right. He couldn't meet her gaze.

"Well, a month or so . . . we've been meeting, but I was going to end it tonight. I just couldn't because she was so upset… her mother is sick." He rambled.

"It's over. I'm leaving," she has said quietly, firmly.

They had argued for days, and he had tried to drag her in to any number of discussions about "stuff". What about the car, what about the house, what about the things." He was trying to hold her to him with this stuff.

"Enjoy it, it's all yours." She let him go. It hurt, but she knew if she stayed he would do it again.

She looked in the mirror across from the bed at her round face, little chin, snubbed nose, freckles, and she wondered how he had ever been attracted to her. She had been thin once, but she was a true southern girl. She loved to cook as much as she loved to eat. She was curved. Some men like that. Her waist nipped in and her hips flared out. She always felt awkward next to thin, elegant women. She was tanned and freckled with long, curly hair. Plain, brown, no matter what anyone said she felt plain. She was always referred to a cute, cute, never beautiful, not blond, and not fair.

"Stop it," she admonished herself. Rehashing it wasn't going to solve anything. She was moving forward, and god bless Aunt Helen. There had been legal difficulties. The proprietor of the will had had some trouble locating her, but in the end the notification had come at the perfect time. She was leaving the ugliness behind and starting fresh. She knew the house was in poor shape, and she hired a contractor with some of the money Aunt Helen had left her. There was still enough left to see her through for a while. She also taught online English classes through several online Universities. It didn't pay much, but she hoped she would find something more permanent here. Though, she wasn't sure how she, and American, was going to get a job teaching Medieval Literature in England. Something would turn up.

Well, the contractor said that he would meet her at the house today at one o'clock. It was already ten thirty, and she needed to shower and eat something. She quickly got up and walked into the bathroom and enjoyed a nice hot shower. She hoped the house didn't have plumbing problems. She could handle a lot, but a nice hot shower just helped you get through the day.

Beth got out of the tub and ran her fingers over the mirror, clearing the condensation that had gathered there. This was how you saw yourself; you wiped away the mist that clouded your vision. You washed the negativity off of you and you stepped into the world naked and new. She cleared the rest of the mirror off with a towel and decided to try and like what she saw.

"Maybe if I find one thing each day to like; Ok. I like my lips; they aren't large but they are full and nice. Rosy. I like my lips." She exhaled.

She dried her hair, fingering the wavy curls. She never wore much makeup but she put a little shimmery gold shadow on her eyelids, a little lip liner, and she put a light wine colored gloss on her lips. She didn't realize it but she was quite a lovely woman, natural.

She slipped on a peach summer dress. She had always favored dresses and skirts. Her friends had always teased her because of her old-fashioned style, but she liked feeling feminine. Her dresses were reminiscent of a fifty's style dress that nipped in at the waist and flared out ending at her knees or shapely calves. She grabbed a white cardigan and slipped on a pair of brown sandals on her feet. She slung her purse over her shoulder and slipped her room key in it. She walked out into the English sunshine hoping that this was the start of a perfect new day.

Severus jumped when the fire in the fireplace flashed green. The handi wizard stepped out with a flourish and a large grin, handed him the requisition and asked him if he were Mr. Severus Snape. Were these the repairs he requested?

He nodded, and his raven hair brushed against his shoulders falling across his angular face. The young wizard, Fred, a most unfortunate name, asked him to step out of the study while he got to work. He refinished the floors and shelves with a series of complicated charms. He replaced the books on the shelves, installed the new curtains, pulled the furniture out of a brown box he had carried with him and enlarged the pieces. He spent several minutes arranging the couch, leather arm chair and small richly carved dark table. Severus had really liked the table. It was a heavy mahogany piece, perfect to rest his book on or a glass of firewhisky.

Fred went to work efficiently repairing and replacing, and Severus watched, amazed, at the transformation wrought on his shabby little house. It looked more like a home than it had in a very long time. It just smelled nicer. The walls were refreshed in a subdued cream color, the cobwebs cleared. He had tried to maintain things as best as he could, but he admitted that he wasn't quite as attentive as he should have been. Fred reduced his old furniture and asked if he wanted them stored or disposed.

"Please dispose of them," Severus nodded. They were of no use to him and carried little sentimental value.

Fred finished by adding decorative accents in the entry way, "a bonus," Fred assured him. Severus rolled his eyes as Fred turned his back.

"Bonus," he thought. "With the amount of money I've spent on this little business, there should be quite a few bonus items. Maybe a free romp on that little twit of a sales associate," he mused. He shook his head; no, he wouldn't waste his money on such a vapid creature. At least the witches he had once visited, when he was a younger man and couldn't control his carnal appetites, were honest about the wares they were selling.

Fred repaired the stairs, which now no longer creaked; he refinished the floors upstairs, replaced the mattress, and set up the armoire Severus had purchased to house his immaculate, if monochromatic, wardrobe. It would be nice to have a place to hang his robes rather than keep them folded in his old chest of drawers. Fred refinished the heavy dark furniture in the bedroom as well and fitted the bed with the new linens and comforter, an understated embroidered piece in emerald and black -ever the faithful Slytherine. After refreshing the walls, Fred headed down to the kitchen, where he replaced the tile. With a flourish of his wand, he updated the cooling spell on Severus's refrigerated cupboard. "Another bonus," Fred winked.

Severus snorted at Fred's irrepressible good humor.

And in a rather perfunctory manner, Fred asked him to sign a statement verifying that all of the appropriate tasks had been completed to his satisfaction. Fred gave him the 30 year warranty on the various spells so that he could file the paperwork in case there were any issues.

Severus thanked him curtly, and Fred was on his way. It was only one o'clock.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

THUNK!

Severus turned to look out of the now clear window. He could see out of it, but there was a charm to prevent nosy neighbors from peeking inside. So he was free to act the voyeur, and since it was set to be a quiet summer, he wouldn't mind something, other than the few projects he had planned, to distract him. He watched as a beefy gentleman stepped out of a truck that displayed the same company logo that the vehicles from the previous day had sported. He looked to be in his early forties, fit, and had slightly graying hair. His skin was brown from working in the sun. Severus watched as a silver car pulled into the driveway and a young girl stepped out.

He watched as she stood by her car. She was petite.

"Macto," he entoned.

The window immediately presented him with a magnified image of her. She turned to shut the door, and he watched as the hem of her peach colored dress twirled around her calves, tan, shapely calves; she had long brown hair. The sun hit her hair and it was a bundle of copper strands caught in a breeze that blew it across her shoulders, her face. She had a lovely figure from behind. Young woman, he corrected; definitely a woman. The wind had molded the dress to her frame, and he admired her shapely curves, firm shoulders, waist that nipped in, and lovely round hips and ….

"Perhaps this would be a most interesting beginning to the summer," he mused. While he was use to denying himself carnal pleasures, he saw no reason why he could not admire a lovely woman. He was unmoved by the girls in his classroom, and he would never think of them in that way. They were children, but he could certainly appreciate a pretty woman. Sometimes they avoided his gaze. He tried not to stare. Sometimes they would meet his eye with a polite but strained smile and look away quickly. He knew he was not handsome, and he never anticipated that any of them might want him to approach them.

He watched as her slim fingers pulled back her hair to reveal a sweet profile. "Yes," … " a most diverting summer".

She looked young, but he couldn't be sure. She had a pert little nose and lovely lips. She smiled, beautiful, straight white teeth. Lovely smile. He watched as she reached out to confidently shake the contractor's hand. Severus watched the man take her in.

He bristled as Beefy, for he had bestowed this moniker on the large, unwieldy man, ogled her. The man never quite met her eyes; he stood gazing at her breast. Granted, he was sure they were lovely. He could see the shape of her; and she was perfect. Beefy was going to be a problem; Severus could sense it.

He saw the strained smile in her eyes. She noticed that the man was staring at her chest. Severus watched as the large man stepped closer and the young woman stepped further away. Beefy gestured toward the house. She shook her head "No". He likely wanted her to accompany him on a tour so that he could get her alone. Severus readied his wand. He watched as Beefy smiled and stepped forward to grab her forearm. She tensed and stern lines appeared on her forehead and her brows drew in. With a small frown on her lips, she shook her head "No," again. Beefy let go and put up his hands, but Severus relaxed, but he could tell that Beefy wasn't through with her yet. The man walked back to his truck and turned to look her up and down. She visibly shuddered. Beefy pulled off with a wave that she did not reciprocate.

He watched as she leaned back on her car. She took a breath, and her tense shoulders relaxed. She closed her eyes and took another breath. When she opened her eyes, she was looking right at him. He knew she couldn't see him, but he met her golden eyes, doe eyes. The sort of sweet, pleading eyes that make your guts clench and make you swoop in to rescue the damsel in distress. She was a lovely woman, and he suddenly had the feeling that he was not going to get away this summer unscathed.

Beth pushed away from the car and walked into the house, suddenly relieved that the large man had finally left her alone. He made her promise to call him if there were any issues with the house.

"Not likely," she huffed. She could still feel his eyes on her; she felt like she needed a shower. He had reminded her of Matt in a way. The guy was a creep, and she hoped today would be the last time she ever had to deal with him. His manner had her more than a little worried.

He had asked her if she would like him to walk with her as she took a look at the house; privately she had wondered if this was just a ploy to get her alone, away from the prying eyes of her neighbors. There was no way that was happening. She had refused, and then he had asked her to have lunch or maybe a drink with him at a local pub this afternoon.

"No, thank you," she had stiltedly replied.

She had been more than a little disturbed when he had grabbed her arm. It looked like he was about to insist, when a strange expression had flitted across his face. It was the look of determination. He had stepped back and put up his hands in false resignation.

"Ok, maybe another time," He said amiably.

She hadn't replied, but she had given him a look that said "Not on your life." She hoped she was done with him; perhaps he was just a bit of a weird-o.

She walked into the house with purpose. She looked around at the new, serviceable cream carpet. It was soft and clean. The walls were bright and the several walls had been removed to make the kitchen, dining room and living room more open. The rooms flowed into one another. There were several bedrooms in the back of the house. She would bring her personal items from the hotel this afternoon, but she would need to go shopping for more furniture. She had ordered a bed yesterday that would be delivered this afternoon. As she stood thinking over this matter, she heard someone pull up in the driveway. She prayed that it wasn't the contractor, Lou, coming to try to convince her that she really needed to have a drink with him. The guy was a creep.

She stepped outside and spotted a delivery van and watched as several young men got out of the van and began unloading the large four poster bed out of the back. They would need to assemble it. After they were done, she would go and purchase bed linens and groceries this afternoon. Thankfully Aunt Helen had left her a serviceable refrigerator as well as a fairly new washer and dryer. She would definitely update the refrigerator soon, maybe next weekend? But it would hold groceries for the week. She would need to go grocery shopping this afternoon. It was going to be a busy day.

Severus looked out the window as the delivery van arrived. He watched as the young woman stepped out of the house onto the porch and smiled at the two young men who were unloading several large boxes marked BED in large black letters. Inevitably this led to thoughts of her tan legs splayed against crisp white sheets.

"Severus, you go too far," he admonished himself.

He watched as the young men gave her appreciative glances. They were large boys really, hardly men. She stepped aside as they hefted the large boxes and moved them into the house. He watched as they preened and flexed for he; their young muscles straining against the short cotton sleeves of their shirts. As they went into the house he saw her shake her head, look out into the driveway and smirk.

Severus smiled. He almost heard her mental shrug "Boys will be boys."

It must not have taken them too long to assemble the bed because they left the house within the hour. She likely had nothing to offer them to drink; he was sure that her cupboards were bare. She followed them out of the house with her arms folded across her waist and a pleasant smile on her face. He was sure that she was unaware of the way her arms pulled the fabric of her dress tautly across her body pulling down the neck of her dress to reveal the tops of her golden breasts, which were sprinkled with freckles. He secretly wondered if her entire body was that glorious golden color and how long it would take to kiss each lovely little mark.

"Really Severus," he muttered " as if she would welcome your advances old man." He snorted absently rubbing his broad, sweaty palms across his lean hips. He wondered what the little muggle would think if she knew that such a man as he was spending his time peering out his window at her thinking about what she would look like in a state of mused undress, bruised lips from tortured kisses, and eyes hooded with desire. Really, he was as unworthy as Beefy to be thinking of her this way. This is what happens, he mused, when one had entirely too much time on their hands.

He watched as one of the young men reached in his pocket to pull out a wallet and handed her his card. She smiled, nodded and thanked him, and the young men left. Like Beefy they waved, and she returned the friendly gesture with a rather sardonic expression in her eyes. He watched as she waited until the van was out of site, and he was secretly happy when he saw her rip the card up in to several small pieces as she shook her head. "That 'a girl" he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Beth walked out of the heat and into the cool store. She was approached be a kind elderly woman who helped her pick out several sets of Egyptian cotton sheets. She bought three sets in a lovely golden color. She picked out a comforter and pillow shams in a lovely embroidered pattern of deep reds and gold. She also bought fluffy pillows. She found golden toned curtains and a lovely rug for the bedroom as well. She would need to buy cleanser and polish to restore some of the old, salvageable furniture that Aunt Helen had left her. The kitchen table was worn but lovely, and the sideboard would need a little TLC as well. She had been told over the phone that the couch was a cat hair covered disaster. She didn't want to know if any of the said animals had been found dead under the furniture when the construction crew had hauled the couch, chair and loveseat away.

The sales associate, Mary, told her that there was a furniture store just a block down from where she was. She decided to take a walk over and purchase a few pieces while she was out. Having made her purchases, she stepped out into the warm summer air and set about burying a nice comfy couch in a lovely sage green. It had a simple leaf pattern and a slight satin sheen to it. It came with a matching love seat. She wasn't sure what possessed her to do so, but she purchased a nice, tan leather recliner. It looked like a masculine piece next to the simple lines of the large couch. It would do, and it would help to fill up the large living room nicely. She selected several side tables, two wrought iron based lamp, a coffee table in a similar warm brown shade as the side tables, and she was done. She walked back to the linen store and with the aid of a fabric swatch, Mary helped her to select a set of green and cream curtains with a sheer valance that would drape across them and puddle onto the floor. Well, no cats then.

Tired from her excursion, she realized she still needed groceries. She passed a small market on her way back to the house. She stopped in and bought the necessities for her sadly under stocked kitchen. She would order spice racks and other necessities online. She couldn't take more shopping this month. She loved to cook, so she purchased a great deal of raw ingredients – flour, various nuts and seeds, yeast, and fresh vegetables. She bought lots of spices, deciding to make something for her neighbors to introduce herself. She bought nice baking pans for bread and cookies (or rather, biscuits as they called them here). She also bought a nice teapot that would go nicely with the dishes that Mary had encouraged her to buy. She also purchased soap and cleansers she would need; the store had a small selection but they would do. A stock boy helped her to load her car, and she was on her way home to wait on the deliveries that would follow.

Beth spent the next couple of days getting things in order, and that Friday decided that it was time to meet the neighbors. She had never seen anyone come out of the gray house next door, but she had the distinct impression that it was inhabited, probably a bachelor who snuck out to run errands in the evenings when no one was watching. She had briefly seen the elderly woman who lived across the road. She remembered Aunt Helen mentioning her, a Mrs. Cleary, a woman who, like Aunt Helen, had mostly kept to herself and had her groceries delivered at 3 o'clock every Wednesday morning. She had waved at Mrs. Cleary as she received her delivery on Wednesday, but the woman had just looked at her solemnly, paid the delivery man, and walked slowly back into her house, bulldog like cheeks wobbling as she shook her head and muttered.

After cleaning the furniture, putting up the furniture, and washing and putting away the pots and pans she had found in the attic (she had been pleased to find that the construction crew had saved most of Aunt Helen's dishes, pots, and pans.) Beth set about making several loaves of cinnamon bread. She loved to bake, and she loved to make all sorts of bread. She enjoyed the time it took to carefully prepare bread, the kneading, the rising, more kneading and rolling. By the afternoon she had made several loaves to keep, a plain white bread, a rich bread with poppy seeds and rolled in flax seeds, and several soft cinnamon loaves to take to her neighbors. She had dazzled them with butter and she could smell the warm aroma coming off of the warm paper bags.

Beth took a quick shower and cleaned off the sweat and flower residue. She put on her favorite body lotion; it had a light citrus smell. She picked out a simple white, sleeveless summer dress that tied with a wide cotton ribbon across the front, nipping in her waist, and ended in a bow around her back. She wore her hair curly down her back and a simple silver necklace and charm that accentuated the open collar and V-neck of the dress. It buttoned to the waist and the full skirt fell just below her knees. The white crisp fabric set off her golden skin beautifully.

She walked over to Mrs. Cleary's home first, knocked, and was met with a smiling wrinkled visage. She introduced herself, handed Mrs. Cleary her package, and told her to let her know if she needed anything. Mrs. Cleary did not invite her in for tea, and she suspected that the woman never had company. She decided to not be put off by this behavior.

She then made her way across the road to her other neighbor's house. She knocked on the door and waited.

Severus had seen her walk across the road to her neighbor's house, but he hadn't expected that she would pay him a visit. He sat in his chair more than a little stunned. He couldn't move. It was one thing to gaze at her from the safety of his window, but it was another to meet her, to speak with her. Should he just ignore her? She knocked again.

He felt a little flutter and tightness in his throat. Was he giddy? "Oh hell," he muttered running his long fingers through his hair. He walked to the door and opened it. His face was set in a rather serious, startled expression. He looked down at the young woman on his doorstep, and watched as her eyes grew wide.

Well, he had opened the door rather abruptly with a bit of force.

She looked up at him with those lovely eyes, through the dark fringe of her lashes. He felt the tightening in his throat again.

"Yes?," he said hoarsely. His voice protested because of disuse.

"Oh hello," she said breathily. She seemed uncertain of what to do with the package in her arms. She trust them out holding the package and squeezing her breast between her arms. He almost groaned as her cleavage was pushed up and her breasts strained against the buttons of her dress. He had a most delicious view of this entire event. He could see the lacy detail of her slip, her brazier under the light fabric of her summer dress.

"I just wanted to come by and introduce myself." She had a light sweet voice that matched her face. It was pleasant, and he realized with a start that her accent was strange… American. She was an American; he was charmed with the little lilt in her voice. She spoke with a slow languor that caressed each word as it flowed from her lovely mouth across that pink tongue that darted out to moisten her lips.

"My name is Beth," she paused looking up at him.

He realized that he hadn't said anything and he was staring at her pointedly ignoring her breasts and focusing on those lovely golden eyes.

He took the package and said "Severus," there was a pause.

"I'm Severus,"

She stood looking up at him, and he wondered what he was supposed to do. Was it proper for him to invite an unattended young woman into his home? Probably not, but he wasn't about to let her get away no matter how awkward he felt.

"Please come in, would you like some tea?" The words rushed out in his deep baritone.

"That would be lovely," the breathy voice again. His lips quirked as he shut the door and led her into his study.

"Let me just put on some water," he said as his long legs carried him into the kitchen

Beth stood in the study and looked around. She had been shocked to see him as he briskly opened the door; his stern face had looked down at her seemingly questioning her right to be on his doorstep. Pulling out her southern charm she had smiled prettily up at him, but it hadn't changed the expression on his face. She was sure that he rarely had visitors and must find it a bit odd that she would come to see him.

She had studied the firm angles of his face and the masculine set of his nose. He was not handsome in the traditional fashion, but she imagined that he looked like the Gothic hero's she favored in the Victorian Romances she enjoyed reading. He was the embodiment of the sullen Heathcliff or the moody and forlorn Mr. Rochester. His hair fell like raven's wings against his face, and his dark hooded eyes spoke to her of loneliness and mystery. She thought him handsome. He was tall and lean, but his body seemed wrapped in rangy muscles that slid sensuously under the skin. He moved with a grace that most men lacked. She turned to watch him in the kitchen; he made deft precise movements as his lovely hands prepared the tea and brought in the tray with several cups.

"Please have a seat" he intoned.

She shivered. His voice rolled over her deep, sonorous, and dare she say … sexy. Oh she was in trouble. She had never been much of a flirt, so she fidgeted nervously and sat down.

Severus noticed her discomfiture and wondered if she was having second thought about coming into his house.

"Milk? Sugar?," he asked.

"Yes, both" he smiled, of course. She was milk and sugar all over. He watched her as she looked around his study, and he was immediately happy that he had decided to make the improvements he had on the house. He handed her the cup and saucer and watched as she set them down on the table. He watched her rapt gaze as she looked around the room at the books that lined the shelves. They were spelled to look like nondescript tomes to the untrained eye.

"You must love to read," she said. "I love books, and these have the most wonderful smell. I use to work in a library, and I miss it a great deal sometimes," she smiled over at him.

This was surprising. His lips quirked at the corners; somehow he couldn't imagine such a lovely woman behind the desk at Hogwart's library. His mind was filled with the pinched face of Madam Pince. He would imagine Beth's presence would be a great draw to the male population, and studying in the library would become a prime pastime.

"So you are a librarian?," he asked as he sipped his tea.

"No, well, I was for a while. I teach Literature classes, it's only online, but it keeps me busy." She smiled.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. Online? What was that?

"Literature" he sniffed. "What is your specialty?"

"Well," she looked at him wryly, "I majored in English literature, with a Minor in History. I focused on Medieval Literature" she rambled. I would like to find something here, but I can't imagine that an Englishman would want to learn about British literature from an American," her she gave him a charming, lopsided smile. "What do you do, Severus?"

He started in his chair at the sound of his name on her lips. He decided that he greatly enjoyed the way she said, no purred his name softly. She was smiling at him as she leaned forward seemingly eager to hear his answer. She rested her arm on the arm of the sofa. He watched as she looked down to run her slender finger over the fabric, and she looked back up at him with those bewitching eyes.

"I teach Chemistry at a private school," he remarked.

"Oh really," she perked up. "I've never had much training in Chemistry, but I have always loved science," She smiled shyly.

Really, her face was quite animate, expressive. He could see the emotions as they passed over her face, intrigued, uncertainty, pleasure. She placed her small chin in the palm of her hand as she leaned forward, giving him a spectacular view of her lovely assets. He shifted in his chair becoming uncomfortably aware of just how close she was and just how wonderful she smelled. Her sent hit him, soft, sweet, and citrus. She smelled like summer, oranges, and sunshine and something unmistakably earthy and woman. His gut clenched and he could feel himself react to her. He tried to breathe deeply only to realize that was making the situation worse; it would shame him to sit here with a hard on while she spoke of pleasantries. But his body seemed unaware that its reaction was clearly not appreciated.

"Do you enjoy teaching?," she asked hopefully.

He snorted. "On those rare occasions when I am presented with a mind capable of adapting to my subject, then it has its rewards; but sadly, I find that most of the students in my class are hardly up to my standards. They are generally inept dunderheads," he groused.

She laughed. It seemed to bubble up from within her, a pretty bell-like, genuine laugh. His lips quirked. He watched as she had tipped up her sweet chin and her eyes close merrily. Some women were obnoxious when they laughed, as if laughing diminished their beauty and distorted their features in such a way that left them, somehow, unfeminine. Her face was suited to laughter as well as her sweet open smiles. She reminded him, in some ways, of Lilly. She was genuine, open, guileless, and friendly. He had set aside those memories of his old friend after the war, realizing that the torch he carried was for the memory of a girl who had never returned his love. While he still honored her memory, he felt the loneliness of the year alone creep upon him. He realized that he would be happy to replace those cold memories with a warm body like Beth's in his bed.

"Really, they can't all be that bad," her voice was filled with mirth.

He gave her a bland look and raised an eyebrow. She gave a little giggle.

They sat for a while looking at one another in companionable silence while they sipped their tea.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They settled into an easy conversation. He asked her how she was enjoying her new home and living in England, and she asked him what he was up to over the summer. When she was done with her tea she thanked him and told him what a pleasure it was to finally meet someone with whom she could enjoy an interesting conversation. He raised an eyebrow at this; for no one that he knew would ever claim that Severus Snape was a talented conversationalist.

She left shortly after, having invited him to dinner the next night.

He had hesitated not knowing how to appropriately apply. Should he seem eager? She took his silence for reticence, and she pleaded "Please Severus, I love to cook and it really would be a favor to me. I hate to eat alone."

This did much to massage his ego. And he accepted her offer graciously.

He watched as she walked down the sidewalk, her hips gently swaying. Well, she hadn't run away screaming had she, and she seemed comfortable in his presence and maybe intrigued, if one could be intrigued by an aging bachelor and chemistry teacher? He snorted wondering what she would think if he told her that he really was a potions master.

Well, he thought, if she decided she wanted to visit again, he certainly wouldn't deny her the opportunity. He also relished the thought of a home cooked meal. He was beginning to look a little pinched and drawn himself. He knew that he neglected himself terribly. It warmed him to think that she desired his company. And while he doubted if he would have the nerve to seek out her company because it might leave him open to rejection, perhaps she, being American, she would be a little more forward in her approach. He would wait and see… and hope.

Beth walked back to her new home smiling. She had told him about Aunt Helen and inheriting the house, about the exhaustion of setting up her household, and about her own awkward encounter with the contractor. She was shocked at the way he responded.

She had watch him sit up ramrod straight and scowl. "If that man bothers you again, I hope you'll let me know," his rich voice had filled the room.

She had blushed, "thank you; I certainly will."

"I'll let you know if I see him lurking about; you can't be too careful," he said as his dark eyes bored into her.

He had seemed to be demanding that she be careful and aware of her surroundings. She hadn't thought to worry about any further steps that Lou might take in pursuing her. She thought he was probably harmless, but when Severus has said that he saw the interaction, she wondered if he hadn't noticed something that she had failed to see – a threat. She promised him that she would be careful and lock her doors and windows diligently.

_He sat lounging on the couch in his study with an open book on his lap and his glasses perched on the end of his nose. He heard something rustling in the kitchen. Someone was making tea. He looked up to see her walk into the room. She smiled. Beth. Her dress was somehow shorter, tighter than the lovely peach dress he had first seen her in. The neckline scooped down and he could see the top of her lacy white bra. He licked his lips, his mouth was dry. _

_She handed him a cup of tea and then sat beside him. He sat the cup down. She ran her hand along his shoulder. He could smell her tart, sweet and warm. "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable," she whispered as she leaned closer to him. Her breath blew into his ear. He stifled a groan. He felt her fingers work their way up the back of his neck and weave through his hair messaging his neck, his scalp. He swallowed audibly. He removed his glasses and turned to her, watching as her lovely breast rose every time she took a breath. They pressed against the offending fabric threatening to spill over. He looked up to see her little pink tongue moisten her lips._

_She moved closer picking up first one leg and then the other resting her thighs on his. He put his hand on her knee; her skin was so soft and silky. He watched as his pale hand trailed across her golden thigh pushing up her dress and her lacy slip. He leaned closer and kissed her soft lips tentatively, she opened for him and he swiftly invaded her mouth, plundering and suckling the rich spoils to be had. He was encouraged by the little whimpers and moans she made and he drew his hand back down her thigh straightening her dress. She moaned with disappointment. _

_He reached forward and grabbed her waist with his hands and drew her to him. His long fingers wrapped around her firmly. The fabric of her dress pulled back over her round bottom as she slid forward, and he could feel the warm, moist heat of her on his leg and her soft thighs pressing against his now impossibly hard cock. She moved her legs against him and he moaned. He deepened the kiss relishing her fervid response. He brought his thumb up and brushed it against her breast feeling her nipples grow taut under his ardent ministrations. She gasped. _

"_Merlin but you are beautiful," he groaned._

"_Severus," she panted._

_He could feel his cock straining against her thigh. He wanted, no he needed to be inside of her, but he was determined to take it slow and bring her pleasure. He nibbled on her earlobe and kissed down her neck. He reached up with one hand and unzipped the back of her gown. He brought his hands up to her shoulders and pulled down the fabric of her dress and slip. He looked at her lovely face, and the desire there was abundantly clear. She shrugged the fabric off of her arms, which left only a little bit of lace between him and her lovely round breasts. He bent his head to kiss her nipples through the textured fabric. She moaned and threw back her head trusting her nipple further into his waiting mouth. He could feel her hair tickle the back of his right hand where it rested on her waist. She looked glorious. He slid his hand down her thigh and under her dress again, slowly working his way up the valley of her thighs. She spread them for him and he slipped his fingers into the silky fabric of her panties. She was wet, gloriously wet for him, and he ripped the delicate fabric off of her. She let out a rough moan as his fingesr slipped within her wet folds and his thumb found her hard nub. He rubbed and stroked as she leaned forward, tongue flicking over his ear, teeth nibbling. _

"_Beth," he muttered hoarsely._

"_Severus," she purred in his ear. "Oh yes, oh, oh" she ceased to speak coherently and whimpered and finally screamed his name as she bucked against his fingers. He drew them out of her and brought them to his mouth. She tasted like heaven. He pulled her around to straddle him and then freed his hard cock. He reached behind her to unclasp her bra and looked into her face as he unwrapped them like a precious gift. He bent his head to suckle them, reached his hand down to grasp his cock, pulled her forward to slide into her and…._

He sat straight up in bed his breath coming is short staccato gasps. Something was wrong. The wards. He had placed wards on her house, and someone was trying to get in. He got up and grabbed his dressing gown and threw it over his naked upper body. The muscles of his chest and back rippled as he threw up his arms to slide them in the sleeves. He quickly belted the silken robe, adjusted himself silently cursing who or whatever had tripped the wards and woken him from the scintillating dream.

He pulled back the curtains and looked out of his bedroom window and he saw Beefy Lou approaching the house. Severus grabbed his wand and shouted "LUMOS!," hoping that the light would be enough to deter the man. He quickly canceled the charm on his window that kept out prying eyes and he watched as Lou looked up at the now bright window and the dark shadow of a man looming within. He knew Lou could see him, and he watched him scurry back into his truck and drive away.

He knew the man would be back, and he would be ready for him. Severus looked out into the darkness with hooded eyes wondering if Beefy realized just how deep the pile of shit was that he had stepped in.

Beth woke the next morning feeling refreshed. She wondered what Severus would be doing today, and she secretly hoped that he would spare some time to think about her. Little did she know she need not have hoped. He hadn't stopped thinking about her all night. Frustrated after the luscious dream of her, he got up and took yet another hot shower hoping that it would enable him to relax and go back to sleep.

It did not work, and by the time his damp hair hit the pillow he was thinking about how she had tasted, and his old complaint rose again. It was like being a bloody teenager. He sighed, put his fist in his pillow and rolled over. "Just a pair of fine eyes and a round bottom and you can't control yourself," he muttered. But she was more than that, even after their brief encounter yesterday, he realized that she wasn't the kind of woman you took to your bed once. She was sweet and surprisingly smart and witty. He typically tired of most female companionship quickly, but he quite enjoyed their time together. In truth, he was rather looking forward to having dinner with her.

Severus woke the next morning in a less than agreeable mood; however, he was anxious for the day to pass quickly. Not only did he want to see Beth, but he wanted to be inside her house to establish more reliable wards against unwanted visitors. He was sure that Lou would be back, and it was quite likely that he would not give up until he got what he wanted. As far as Severus was concerned, this was never going to happen.

After his morning ablutions, Severus headed downstairs, made coffee and decided to try the bread Beth had brought him the previous day. It was still fresh and soft; he wished he could watch her at work in the kitchen. One could tell a lot about a wizard by watching him in a potion's lab; he surmised that the same was true about a woman in the kitchen. What would it be like to wake up and watch her busy in the kitchen making him breakfast in the morning, bringing him tea in the afternoon. His eyes darkened as he thought about his dream…. tea in the afternoon, indeed. He snorted at his foolish musings. He was reading more into her actions that was likely there. She no more wanted to bring him tea in the afternoon than she wanted to have a drink with her friend Beefy. He helped himself to another piece of the delicious bread and continued to try and ignore the thoughts he kept having about the deft little hands that had kneaded it into something palatable.

He went into his study, opened up the current issue of Potions Weekly and scanned a new article about the unpredictability of invisibility potions. He glanced out of his window briefly and back down at his magazine. He paused, blinked and turned his head slowly. She had just walked out onto the back porch. He could barely see through the slats in the fence, but he could see that she had her hair piled up on top of her head, and the morning sunshine beat down upon it making it shine like spun copper. Her shoulders were bare. He couldn't see anything else.

He knew he shouldn't look. He tried to content himself with his magazine. He shifted, turned to look at her back yard, her fence. He could see through the various slats that she sitting in her back yard on what looked to be a blanket. He saw her back and what looked like her legs moving as she rubbed first her arms and then her legs. What on earth was she doing?

"Macto" he muttered and tapped the window several times.

He still couldn't see what she was doing. He decided to give in and make the fence transparent. He knew he should allow her some privacy. He swallowed and his throat was dry. He felt the muscles in his jaw constrict.

"Perspicuus" he muttered hoarsely. He really was a cad.

He watched as she finished rubbing what looked like some kind of oil over her legs. Merlin. He wasn't sure what she was wearing exactly, but there was little left to the imagination. She really was that lovely golden color all over. He licked his lips as he watched her rub the lotion over her freckled shoulders. She laid down and he could see the thin triangles pieces of fabric that barely contained her breasts. He blushed, looked away, and with a flick of his wand ended the spell. Periodically he would look up and he could see her body gleaming gold through the slats in the fence. He shifted in his chair, adjusting his magazine. It was going to be a very uncomfortable afternoon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The morning wore on and Severus was alone again with his thoughts, and they wandered from the golden figure next door and into his past. It was two years after the war with Voldemort. He was now well into his 40th year of life, and he was tired, tired of being ostracized and tired of being alone. He had spent many days thinking about Lilly. Death had a way of putting things into perspective, and when he had awaken from strange dreams a week after the final war, body wracked with chills and fever and still fighting Nigani's poison, he thought about the feelings he had for Lilly and the memories he had shared with Potter.

For weeks Severus had yearned for her, wished that her sacrifice, his sacrifices would mean something to them both. But staring in to that cold dark abyss had made him realize that Lilly was not there. The Lilly that had fueled his adolescent dreams and fantasies, the Lilly that had driven his hatred of Voldemort was a fiction that he had invented. Now his days were quiet, and the years seemed to stretch out before him lonely and full of dull routine.

After he recovered, he had applied for several choice potions positions and had been turned down. He thought about starting his own business, but he was unable to raise the capitol it would require. After the ministry had granted him what they deemed payment for his sacrifices to the wizarding world, he had applied for a potions permit which would allow him to start his own potions lab. Someone in the ministry had turned down his request. It seemed that they didn't want a dark wizard, even a reclaimed dark wizard, left to his own devices creating potions in a private lab where his actions could not be monitored.

Sure, he could work on special projects at Hogwarts where his every move would be observed by Albus Dumbledore, and the ministry officials had been satisfied with this arrangement. He was resigned to his position as Potion's Master at Hogwarts. He had ceased to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. He knew the ministry, however tolerant, would likely frown on such an appointment. He was tired of being angry, and while he still kept up his gruff facade in the classroom, he found that his experiences had changed him. He had come to terms with his loss of Lilly to James so long ago, and he had even made peace with Harry Potter. What he longed for now was some piece of normalcy; he was ready for something to fill the void.

He would never like what he saw in the mirror, but he had made peace with it, made peace with himself. He would never forget what he had done, and he would never expect others to forgive him. However, he was resigned that like all humans, he had done the best he could. He had been put on trial for his crimes and he had been set free. He did not think he disserved this freedom, but he would not refuse such a gift.

He looked at the yard next door and realized that she was no longer there. The sun was further down in the sky, and when he looked at the clock he realized that the evening was swiftly approaching. He was to arrive at Beth's home at five, and it was already three thirty. He decided to head upstairs to shower, shave and ready himself for a new chapter. Maybe he would even arrive early. He was not sure how it was done, but he was going to attempt to woo a young woman this evening. He snorted. "Well," he mused "stranger things had happened."

Beth had been a flurry of activity after she came in from sunbathing. She tried to moderate her time in the sun, but occasionally she just needed to recharge. The sun left her feeling relaxed and energized. She set about preparing a lovely meal for the evening. She decided to prepare something wholesome and filling. Pot Roast. Everyone liked pot roast right? She had found a very pretty rump roast at the market. It would do nicely. She seasoned it and seared it and put it in a cast iron pot with some beef broth, covered it, and turned up the heat. It would cook slowly all afternoon and would likely be quite tender by the afternoon. She would cut up the potatoes and carrots in an hour or so, so that they could cook down and absorb the savory juice of the roast. Her tummy growled. She fixed a quick sandwich, ate it, and headed went to take a shower.

She had just come out of the shower and picked out some pretty under things when she heard a knock at the door. Surly that couldn't be Severus? She quickly threw on her new pink, lacy bra and panties, pink slip and the dress she had planned on wearing that evening. It was powder blue with lovely little capped sleeves. It was fitted at the waist and flared out at the hips in a full skirt. She twirled in front of the mirror. She still needed to put on a little make up and fluff up her hair a little, but she could excuse herself after he came in.

Her heart did a little summersault in her chest. She couldn't believe he had decided to come over this early. It was only 3:45. She looked out of her bedroom window to make sure he was really there and she felt a cold dread paralyze her body. It was, she giggled nervously, "Beefy." She couldn't believe that Lou had come by again, and he looked to be holding flowers. She wondered if she waited long enough if he would leave.

Severus finished his shower quickly and shaved. He used a spell to dry his hair, and he looked in the mirror. By the end of the night his hair would be lank and oily. The corners of his mouth pulled down in a frown. Only Merlin knew why she would want him to come over for dinner, why she would desire his company. He rubbed his long, masculine fingers over his face and drew his eyebrows together. Clearly, he wasn't handsome. His nose was too big and, frankly, he looked older than he should. The years had not been kind he decided. Well, he couldn't change these things, but there were other things within his control.

Severus had always dressed fastidiously. He cared for his garments carefully, diligently. He only purchased quality pieces, and though most would consider his attire rather old fashioned and formal, he felt quite comfortable. He wondered if he should wear a coat this evening. It seemed entirely too warm, but this was dinner. However, she might intend for this to be a casual affair. He slipped on his black trousers, socks, shoes and a white undershirt. He grabbed a black button up shirt, threw it over his shoulders and let it slip down his arms. He decided to go a little less formal. He rolled up his sleeves onto his forearms and reached into the armoire to grab a vest. Well, perhaps somewhere in-between formal and casual?

He heard something pounding outside, and then he heard a masculine voice yelling "I know you're in there sweet thing!"

Severus buttoned his vest and headed down the stairs, his long legs taking them to at a time. He grabbed his wand, the bottle of wine he intended to bring, and reinforced the wards on his house before racing out of the door. His hair was flying around his face like a maelstrom, and his eyebrows were drawn like two great thunder clouds above his glittering eyes. The man had gone too far last night.

Lou had turned around when he got no response at the door. He was about to head around the house and peek in her windows, when he noticed that her neighbor was headed toward him. Lou smiled a predatory smile.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing mate?" he asked.

Severus approached the porch, climbed the stairs and looked down at the brawny man. "I was just about to ask you the same question" he said through gritted teeth.

"I suggest you shove off." Beefy puffed out his chest and inched closer to Severus. He looked to be a powerful man, but Severus was hardly intimidated by this Baboon like display of machismo. Severus looked down his nose at the fool.

The door opened. "Oh Severus, I'm so glad you're here" Beth rushed out of the door slipping behind Lou and linking her arm in Severus'. "Well, I see you two have met," she said sweetly. "Lou," she looked up at the other man who was now red faced and almost growling with rage. "this is my boyfriend Severus. We were just about to have dinner; would you excuse us?"

Severus surreptitiously reached down with his right hand and slowly pulled his wand free. Neither Lou or Beth noticed this quick gesture. Lou looked down at Beth, disgustedly. "So it's like that is it?" he shouted.

"Lou, I am not sure how you got the impression that your advances were wanted, but I can assure you that they are not. Please leave." She said steadily. Severus could feel the tension in her arms; he could feel her trembling lightly. He slipped his left arm around her and gripped his arm around her waist, and he could feel her lean into him.

"I believe the lady asked you to leave," Severus glared down at him.

Lou pushed himself up on his toes bringing his face closer to Severus'. "This isn't over," he growled.

"It most certainly is," Beth leaned forward, " and if you come here again, I'm going to call the police. Please leave." She frowned up at the man as he glared at Severus.

He looked over at her, "you'll change your mind pretty, once you've had a real man." He smirked at her.

Beth rolled her eyes and watched the man back down and begrudgingly leave. He climbed into his truck and spun his tires flinging gravel across her yard. As he pulled off, she relaxed and turned to Severus, her face was pressed against his chest. He slipped his wand back into his pants and drew his arms around her. He felt her warm breath though his shirt and listened as her deep breaths became more even.

She breathed in his clean masculine sent. He smelled like some sort of herbs; she couldn't place the scent. "You smell wonderful," she said as she tilted up her face to look at him. She paused, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, I think, but I assure you I bathe on a regular basis." He quirked one eyebrow at her. She giggled. "No, Thank you for getting rid of him. I couldn't have done it without you. I was hiding from him in my bedroom when I saw you coming across the yard like a knight in shining armor. You looked furious." She smiled.

He shifted uncomfortably, "You're welcome" he said in a deep quiet voice. He was having trouble concentrating with her so close. She looked up at him with those big, sweet golden eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to run his hands through her hair, cup her head, and draw her lips to his. He watched as her eyelids shuttered and her pink tongue darted out across her lips. He could feel her warm skin under his fingertips. He watched as a faint blush stained her cheeks. It was quite becoming. He hesitated, and she smiled nervously up at him before stepping away. He released her silently cursed the missed opportunity as she turned away from him.

"Well, come in," she said breathily.

Once again, he was struck by the notion that she seemed so young. What if he was reading this all wrong; what if she was just seeking the comfort of a friend? He had never been in such a situation before, and he was afraid of moving too fast or misinterpreting her actions.

He turned to follow her and realized he had dropped the wine somewhere in her yard. "Just a moment," he said and walked out into the grass, bent over, and picked up the bottle. When he turned around he noticed that she was staring; her cheeks grew brighter and she looked away. He smirked to himself.

Beth had watched him step off of the porch, he moved in such a graceful masculine way. She watched him bend over and his pants pulled taut across his bottom. "Umm." She thought. "nice." He turned around quickly and caught her staring, her lips were parted.

Severus wasn't sure what to make of this; he had never had a pretty woman looking at him this way. Typically, they were well aware of who and what he was. They politely avoided him. He was a known dark wizard, a Death Eater. Regardless of what the Daily Profit reported, many were inclined to believe that he was a dangerous man. There had been a few women who were intrigued and even titillated by the notion that he was a powerful, dark wizard. He had been approached once in Knocturn alley. She had been a brazenly dressed woman with too much makeup and a voice that made his ears ache. He had scorned her advances, and she had hounded him for weeks.

But never had he captured the attention of such a beautiful, sweet woman. What would she say if she knew he was a wizard, a Death Eater. He knew if this continued he would have to tell her eventually. How would she react to the notion that there was another world out there that she never knew about? Would she be intrigued or repulsed?

He watched as she turned to walk into the house. He admired the way her dress floated about her as she turned, revealing just a little more of her shapely legs. He was really starting to like muggle clothing. Beth paused at the door waiting for him to follow her in. She smiled over her shoulder at him. He dearly hoped that things would turn out all right because he was becoming awfully comfortable with the thought of spending a great deal of time in her company.


	7. Chapter 7

I would just like to thank all of my readers for their kind reviews, and I want to say a special thanks to my beta reader Ella for all of her hard work! Be sure to check out her story "Once Upon A Dream" – by The Prince's Phoenix. Also, I would like to remind you that this is an AU and Dumbledore is alive. Thank you and please remember to leave feedback. I am always open to a helpful critique!

Chapter 7

Severus followed her into the house. "I'm sorry the kitchen is still a mess. I still have a bit to do. Would you like to open the wine and let it breathe? We could have a glass in a bit. I still need to finish cooking." She smiled apologetically. "You can have a seat anywhere you like, or feel free to look around." She turned to head into the kitchen and then came back to him and handed him a corkscrew and two glasses. He opened the wine and watched as she headed into the kitchen. He and set it on the counter and decided to look around. She had, after all, invited him to do so. Her home was clean and warm and smelled faintly of some muted fragrance. He noticed a candle burning on the counter.

He looked around the living room; it was pleasant, open, and inviting. She had statues of Saint George slaying a dragon and several miniature knights. There were two long bearded wizard statues flanking several leather bound books. "The Lord of the Rings" he muttered as he read the title. She looked over at him.

"That's my favorite. Have you read it?" she asked.

"No," he said, "must have been written by a Muggle," he thought.

"You should read it. Not only is it beautifully written, but it has my favorite wizard – Gandalf," she smiled at him.

He jumped when she said wizard. He repressed a smirk. "We'll just see about that…" he thought. He chuckled. "Do you believe in that sort of thing?" he asked.

God she loved that voice. He could read the dictionary and she would listen to him all day. "What sort of thing?" she asked

"Magic" his dark eyes bore into hers.

She paused taking his measure. "Yes. Yes; I believe in magic. Just because you've never seen something doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. I think there is more to the world than we will ever really know. Do you think that's silly; that I believe in magic?" She queried.

"No; not at all." He said as he looked pensively at her.

She held his gaze for a moment, blushed and turned to finish chopping what looked to be potatoes.

He continued looking around her home. He noticed several pictures from the medieval revival. It was strange to see the Lady of Shallot unmoving and Leighton's Accolade so still. These were by wizard artists. They must have made still copies to sell to muggles. The pictures and tapestries were obviously prints and manufactured pieces, but they fit together nicely with her eclectic style. It felt like a home. There were books everywhere. Most of the walls had built in shelves. He walked to the front door where there was a room set off from the living room. He looked in. It was small study. There were built in shelves all around the room and a nice, sturdy desk made of some dark wood. It smelled like some sort of wood polish in here. He walked in to take a look at the books. Most of them were about history, ancient history. There were books about Ancient Babylon, Syria, the Phoenicians, books on trade in the ancient world, Rome, Egypt, and ancient myths including Inanna and Gilgamesh. He smiled; she clearly loved to learn. She seemed like such a unique woman.

Then he spotted a book, _Cosmetics in the ancient world_. "Ridiculous," he thought. Who wrote such drivel. This must have been written by a woman. He read, Dr. Norbin Philbert, probably some hopeless academic who wished to draw more women to his seminars. He looked at the picture of Dr. Philbert on the cover, he was a small rat like man with large glasses and wiry, balding hair. Severus snorted derisively. He put the book back on the shelf.

He turned to look at her desk. There was some sort of screen; he thought these were called computers. Next to the computer were several magazines. He paused, and his face grew white. "Merlin, what was this?" he thought. On her desk was some sort of magazine with pictures of half naked women. He took a closer look; it was some sort of lingerie catalog. He looked up self-consciously. He looked back down and noticed she had circled a few items. "Merlin" he whispered. He looked back up at the door, listened quietly. He flipped through the pages finding several dog eared.

Everything was lacy. His hand trembled. He looked at the provocatively posed models; they were all terribly thin with wanton expressions on their face. Not to his taste, but he could imagine these bits of lace on Beth. He shifted uncomfortably thinking about how she would look naked with a lacy red bra covering her round breasts and the way that the scrap of lace they deemed underwear would look as it fell across her soft round hips and round belly. He loved that she had curves; he had loved the way she felt when she had pressed up against him on her porch. She was soft and womanly, not like these angular women who had to thrust their hips to the side to give the illusion of curves. No, Beth was beautifully curved like a fine Grecian urn.

His dark eyes looked up to find the doorway still empty; he looked back down at the catalog. A pink lacy slip was circled, a bra and panty set with the colors blush and red underlined. He licked his lips and his eyes darted up again. She was going to catch him here looking at these women and think the worst. Well, this _was_ bad however you looked at it. His hand trembled as he turned the page and he saw she had circled some little colorful negligee with matching panties. Did women really wear this sort of thing to bed? He felt his throat tighten, and he could feel the perspiration on his forehead. He heard something, quickly closed the magazine and turned to grab the closed book available.

He saw her shadow in the door and turned to look at her. She walked up to him and peeked over his arm to look at the book he was holding. He looked down at the cover _Sex in Ancient Egypt_ the title read. "Fuck…" he thought. His muscles grew rigid and he waited for her response. He could feel her warm breath on his shoulder, and he could feel her breast pressed slightly on his arm. He was starting to respond.

"Fuck." he thought, "what the hell do I do now?" He felt her beside him but noticed she had turned her face towards the desk. She quickly stepped away and moved something on the desk. He replaced the book and looked over at her. She had her back to the desk and she was fidgeting nervously. He noticed that she was blushing; he looked down at the desk and saw that she had placed a large book over the magazine. Well, at least they were both uncomfortable. That was when he noticed the lace of her pink slip peeking out slightly over the neckline of her dress. She smiled.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked.

He ran his long finger over the spine of _Sex in Ancient Egypt_ and look at her with hooded eyes. He said nothing.

"Feel free to take anything you like," she said as she ran her fingers unconsciously along the scooped neckline of her dress drawing his eyes to her breasts. His eyes darkened, and he clenched his jaw. He could feel his cock starting to stir again. He met her gaze. She blushed, aware now of the implications of what she had just said.

"Um. I'm going to put the rolls in the oven. She walked around the desk and brushed against him. He could smell the citrus fragrance she wore. He watched her hips sway as she walked toward the door. When she left the room, he let out a breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding.

He waited until he heard her moving around in the kitchen before he walked out into the living room. He watched her; she was lovely. She washed several knives and put them away. He walked into the kitchen and sat at the table so that he could watch her. She wiped the counter with a cloth, and she looked up at him and smiled. She reached behind her to untie a frilly little apron she had tied around her waist. He thought, not for the first time, about how nice it would be to have such a woman care for him, cook for him and keep his bed warm at night. He had never allowed himself to have such thoughts before; he had focused on his loss of Lilly and the goal of retribution. Now, he saw that something more might be possible, something infinitely more fulfilling than the cold victory he had won over Voldemort.

"Penny for your thoughts." She said as she brought the wine and glasses over to the table.

He watched as she ran her fingers over the delicate edge of the embroidered table cloth. She sat down gingerly in the chair next to him and looked into his eyes with such an open guileless expression.

"I was just thinking about how lovely you look this evening," his voice flowed over her soft and deep.

She blushed, "thank you Severus."

Their eyes met. He held her gaze watching as she brought her right hand over to his and began running her fingers over his.

"You have very nice hands," she looked up at him through her lashes.

"Thank you," he said huskily.

"Would you like to play a game?" she asked.

"I have a game we can play," he thought. He felt himself growing hard. "What did you have in mind," he drew the words out slowly, sensuously.

"Well, I have a chess set, " she said almost timidly; her eyes flickered over his face to his eyes, his lips, his jaw. She could feel her cheeks growing warm. Beth couldn't understand what it was about him that made her feel this way. She certainly was no virgin. Granted, she hadn't been with any men. Ok, she had only been with Matt, but they had been together for five years. There was very little that they hadn't done in bed or elsewhere.

Yet, Severus made her feel like an inexperienced girl. Perhaps it was because he seemed so calm, at ease, and he radiated sexual magnetism. Sex with Matt had been nice at times, but for the most part, he behaved like a randy teenager in the sack. He had never tried to seduce her. He was more concerned with his own pleasure, and she hated his bedroom talk. She didn't mind a little dirty talk now and then, but what woman wants to constantly reassure her partner that .. yes he has a big cock and oh yeah she had thought about sucking it all day, and yes she was his little, slutty whore. Ugh. Really. There were never words whispered to her about how beautiful she was or how much he wanted her. It was all rather juvenile really, like something out of a badly written porno. She couldn't imagine Severus ever asking her to reassure him that he had a big cock. Which made her wonder, just how big was it?

She wondered what he would look like naked. He was so tall and lean. She could tell that he was muscular. She was sure he would be an attentive lover roaming those long, strong fingers over her body, between her thighs. She felt herself grow wet; it was getting harder to breathe.

"Do you play," he was intrigued.

He watched as she lowered her lashes and opened her lips. What on earth was she thinking about? He had an idea that it wasn't chess. Her fingers had stopped moving over his, and soft, damp palm lay over the top of his hand. "Interesting," he thought.

"Ummm" she half moaned. "only a couple of times; would you mind showing me again? I can't remember how all of the pieces move," she smiled sheepishly.

"I'd be happy to" he studied her trying to figure out if this was a ploy of some kind. She seemed genuine.

"I'll just go get the set."

He watched as she gracefully got up from her chair. She walked out of the room, but returned quickly with a square wooden box. She set it down on the table and pulled out the pieces. She looked hesitantly at him. Severus set up the chess board and told her how each piece moved. She listened intently, and he watched her look at him when she thought he would not notice. He caught her staring at his lips. He smiled at her, " are you listening," he teased.

"Yes," her voice was a little thick with some emption. He wasn't sure what.

They played several games; and she lost graciously. "You'll improve with time; you just need to keep practicing." he urged.

"Well, I seem to have found the perfect teacher, " she smiled at him bewitchingly.

She was so close. He felt her move closer almost imperceptibly. He watched as she began putting away the pieces, and he moved to help her. Their hands brushed against each other, and he felt a shock of electricity move from his fingers through his body. She looked up at him and leaned a little closer seemingly to grab his rook. Her face was inches from his, and he could smell her light fragrant and see the freckles on her cheeks. She looked over at him and he watched as she drew her bottom lip in her mouth and ran her teeth over it. It was glistening all he had to do was capture it. She looked down at his lips as hers parted. He inched forward his dark eyes capturing hers…

BEEP!

Beth jumped as the oven timer went off. "Oh, " she blushed. "Well the rolls are done." She looked at him sheepishly; he could see that her hands were trembling. She got up from the table, and he swore under his breath. Severus watched as she grabbed the filly, little white apron and tied it around her waist. She grabbed a cloth and walked gracefully over to the oven.

He watched as she bent over to take a look inside. As she bent over, he noticed that her dress pulled up in the back slightly giving him a view of the back of her knees. He groaned as he thought about running his tongue over that sensitive area, suckling and licking and just what position she would have to be in to give him access to that area. She shifted, grabbed the oven door and bent down a little further to grab the rolls. The hem of her dress rose a little further and he could see her golden thighs. He shifted in his chair; his pants were becoming uncomfortably tight. He once again spied the lacy pink slip peeking out of the bottom of her dress. He use to think that pink was quite a ridiculous color; now, he was beginning to seriously rethink that opinion.

As she brought the golden rolls out of the oven he was assaulted with the rich smell of fresh yeast bread. He groaned. Thoughts of sex and food; he was in hell. He realized when his stomach growled that he had hardly eaten anything today. He was ravenous in every sense of the word; and it was definitely time to indulge. He watched as she grabbed a cup of some sort of oil or butter and brushed it over the rolls. His mouth watered. She worked efficiently in the kitchen. She walked across the floor and opened another cupboard to grab a bowl. She opened several decorative containers on the counter and, using a measuring cup, poured flour and sugar into a bowl. She went to the refrigerator and bent over again. He was really enjoying the view. It was like watching a well choreographed dance.

She grabbed an egg and milk from the refrigerator, grabbed a whisk from a drawer and mixed them into the bowl. She walked quickly, gracefully across the kitchen back to the refrigerator, put away the milk and grabbed a square dish with berries and sugar. She poured the mixture over the berries, washed the bowl, and walked over to the oven. She pulled out a large pot and set it on the stove, and she bent over to place the square dish in the oven. She set the timer and began to fix two plates. His mouth watered. He could smell the roast. He hoped it tasted as good as it smelled.

She brought the plates over; he wondered how he was going to eat all of this food. The roast was so tender it melted in his mouth; the vegetables were flavorful, and the rolls. "Mmmm," he moaned. He used his napkin to wipe his mouth. "This is delicious." He sighed.

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled over at him. "I love to cook, and I hate eating alone."

"Well, thank you for inviting me over. I certainly haven't had a meal this good in quite a while," he gazed at her meaningfully.

He turned his attention back to his plate and continued to eat with gusto. She smiled. "Thank you," she said timidly, "I hope you will join me for dinner tomorrow? In fact, I would like it a lot if you considered it a standing invitation for as long as you like."

He grew quiet and noticed the hopeful note in her voice. He felt elated and scared at once. His heart beat loudly in his chest and his throat grew tight. "I'd like that a lot." His answer sounded woefully inept to his own ears. He looked into her eyes at her sweet expression. She looked so unsure and shy. He wanted to push back his chair, pull her to him, and kiss away all of her uncertainty and assure her that she need not question his feelings towards her. He knew this was not the time for such brash statements of ardent desire. He didn't want to scare her away besides he had the rest of the summer to carefully plan this seduction. By the time he took her into his arms, he wanted her to have no doubts about him. He trembled, this would mean that he would have to divulge weighty secrets, and he was hardly ready to do so given the nature of their budding relationship.

BEEP!

It was his turn to jump as the oven went off. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. She must have heard him because he saw a small smirk flit across her full lips. "Something funny?" he asked.

She looked at him with smiling eyes, innocently. "Not at all." She flashed him a beautiful smile. She walked across the kitchen to pull out the desert. It smelled heavenly; though, he wasn't sure if he could eat another bite. "We can have some of this later," she smiled looking over her shoulder at him.

Now that one appetite was sated; he was hungrily watching her body move. He wanted to walk behind her, grab her waist, and pull her back to him. He was thinking about how good she would feel pressed up against him, his hard cock resting against her round bottom. He would love to kiss her lovely neck and run his hands down her shapely hips over her belly drift down and bunch up her skirt inch by inch. What would she do if he slid his hands over those lacy pink panties and rub her hard little clit? Would she moan and press against him. He wanted to push his long fingers down inside of her panties and see if she would be wet for him, finger her folds and slip inside of her sweet sheath. He took a drink of wine, and he realized she had hardly touched hers.

His gaze drifted up from her hips as she turned to the sink. Her profile was facing him, and he gazed on her lush round breasts. His eyes roamed up to her sweet little chin, round pouty lips and pert little nose. He groaned trying to ignore his throbbing cock. He was thinking about how those sweet lips would feel as they wrapped around his thick shaft. She looked over at him, "You look intense; what are you thinking about," she asked shyly.

He coughed into his wine glass; grabbed his napkin and pressed it to his mouth. He cleared his throat. "I was just thinking how lucky I am that you moved in," he looked at her with dark, glittering desire in his eyes. She walked over to the table and sat down. "I noticed you barely touched your wine; don't you like it?"

"It's nice," she looked up at him, "though I typically prefer white wine. But, thank you for bringing it." She finished in a rush.

"Mmm," he said noncommittally as she reached to take his plate. She brought the dishes into the kitchen and sat down again. He loved the way her fragrance wafted over him as she moved. He brought his elbows up to rest on the table and rested his chin on his folded fingers. He absently rubbed his long thick thumbs against the bottom of his chin. He watched her eyes they trailed over his fingers up to his lips.

They sat for a while and he asked her about her family. Did she plan on moving back to the states?

"No, I don't think so," she said hesitantly. "I miss my family, but I can always go home for a visit. I rather like it here, and you know, there is this really interesting man who lives next door," she said playfully.

"Oh really," he responded, "and just what are your plans for this gentleman?" his tone was deep and teasing.

She smiled, leaned forward, and whispered, "whatever he wants, but I rather think the next move is his to make," her voice was soft and husky.

Severus felt something twist inside of him. It felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He watched her lick her lips. "Poor sot, " he murmured " you should treat carefully; he may fall for you. You wouldn't want to lead him on a fruitless chase now would you?" he held her eyes in a direct gaze.

Beth felt herself shiver, and she realized something she hadn't seen before in those glittering dark eyes. He was dangerous. This man wasn't just some private school chemist teacher. Her breath hitched, and she began to breathe in quick pants, her breast rising and straining against the fabric of her dress. Oh he was dangerous. She felt naked. Her mouth was dry; she parted her lips and a little gasp escaped her as she watched him run his thumb over his bottom lip.

"It certainly wouldn't be a fruitless I would never lead a man on, and if he decides to chase me, I intend to enjoy every minute of it."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After the intense exchange, they sat quietly for a moment gazing at one another. Beth had looked at him and asked if he would like to try the cobbler. He usually disliked sweets, but the blackberries had been tart and fresh. He enjoyed watching her eat; she savored each bite and made pleasant little sounds in the back of her throat; he wondered what he would have to do to elicit such sounds from her. He loved watching as she drug the spoon over her lips after each bite, oh to be the spoon. At one point she had gotten a bit of the berries on her finger. She reached to grab her napkin, but before she could, he grabbed her hand and drew her finger to his mouth and sucked. He looked into her eyes and watched as she opened her lips, tilted her face down, and looked through her dark lashes with smoldering eyes. "Let the chase begin," he thought.

"Delicious," he licked his lips and drew her fingers out of his mouth.

"Mmmm," she moaned breathily. "So what are you doing tomorrow?"

"That depends," he said cryptically.

"On?" she challenged.

"What you have in mind."

His voice sent shivers up her spine. He still had her hand and he absently rubbed her palm with his thumb.

"I'm going to the farmer's market tomorrow. It won't be a very exciting trip, but if you would like to come," she left the invitation open.

"I might be persuaded," he teased as he moved his thumb in languorous circles across her palm. He was watching her neck, watching the small movement along her carotid artery, he watched it flutter as her pulse quickened. He had learned to read these minute changes in others while spying for Dumbledore. It was much more pleasant to put his talents to such uses.

She smiled at him, "well then I'll be persuasively at your door tomorrow at 9:30.

"I should be going then," he said, smiling at the disappointment he saw in her eyes.

She walked him to the door, and he grabbed her hands, pulled her close, and placed a kiss on the soft knuckles of each hand, darting his tongue out and tasting them. He relished the look of desire he saw in her eyes, steadfast in the hope that she would run a merry chase and let him catch her very soon.

Severus woke up early. He wasn't particularly excited about being surrounded by muggles all morning, but he was anxious to see Beth again. He was determined to spend as much time with her as possible and get to know her. She seemed like such a sweet, calm woman. She had such an even temperament; he was sure that life with such a woman would be most enjoyable. He was sure that they would have arguments if their relationship progressed, but she didn't seem the type to fly into a rage. Not that he would mind it; he would be willing to bet that she was as sexy as hell when she was angry.

It was still early when he made his way downstairs in his crisp, white cotton shirt and black trousers. He had no idea what one wore to a farmer's market. Nor did he have any idea what they would be doing. "Well," he shrugged, he would enjoy the day with her regardless. He decided to roll up the sleeves of his shirt. It was sure to be a warm day. He went to his study and read for a while.

At about 7:30 he noticed a light come on in her bedroom. Through her blinds, he could see her moving around. She walked out of the room, and a few minutes later she walked back in. She was likely getting dressed. He wondered if she had worn that little nightie to bed. What did she look like when she got up in the morning; hair mused and sleep-heavy eyes.

He was startled out of a doze a few hours later, when he heard a knock on his door. He grabbed his wand and a wallet with a little muggle money in it that he always kept on hand before heading to the door. As he opened the door, he saw her smiling up at him. She looked positively lovely. She was wearing a long white skirt that fell just past her calves drawing attention to her lovely ankles. She wore a sleeveless teal shirt with a white cardigan over it with a small teal and brown print. She had tan sandals on her feet, he noticed that her toenails were painted pink and she wore a little silver ring on one of her toes. The corner of his mouth drew up in a smirk.

She held out a cup to him; "it's coffee. I wasn't sure how you took it, so I left it black," she smiled up at him.

"Thank you, that's fine." He was touched that she would make such a gesture.

"Well," she remarked, "do you mind if I drive, or would you like to? I don't mind if you would prefer to."

"I don't own an automobile." He was a little nervous about riding in a car. He had never driven or even ridden in one. The order had used one for various activities, but he had always distained the use of such muggle devices. Now, he wished that he had at least learned how to use it. He was going to be at her mercy, and while he was sure she was a perfectly fine driver, Severus never liked the idea of putting his life in someone else's hands.

"I sort of guessed that, but you could drive my car if you feel comfortable," her eyes sparkled up at him.

"No, I never learned," he felt a little awkward.

"Oh, well that's fine," she started walking over towards the car, "I'll drive then."

He followed her and opened her door for her. She smiled up at him, "Thank you," and blushed.

She watched as he walked around the front of the car; she admired his long legs and broad chest. He moved so gracefully. She leaned over to adjust the seat back as he opened the door. He was presented with a lovely view of her breasts. She seemed to have a little trouble with the mechanism, and he watched entranced as her breasts swayed as she pulled the lever and pulled on the seat. "Quite diverting," he thought.

When she pushed the seat back he sat down, closed the door, and looked around uncomfortably.

"You can adjust the seat if you like, so that you won't be leaning back so far. The lever is on the side of the seat." She pointed.

He looked down unsure what she was pointing at. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Do you see the little lever?" she asked.

"No" he gave her a bemused look. His chair was leaned back but he was sitting up straight.

She smiled, "Ok, let me help." She shifted over until her bottom was on the console, and she leaned over him. He shifted back a little to give her room. He felt her breast press against his thigh as she reached over and pulled a little lever.

"Here it is, so you see it?" she looked up over her shoulder at him. "Is that comfortable," she asked?

His eyes were glittering darkly. He looked over at the little metal piece she was pointing to.

"Mmmhumph" he nearly groaned. Her bottom looked quite fetching as her skirt pulled tight around it. He was disappointed when she sat up, but then she turned toward him. She was so close he could smell her minty breath.

"You need to put on your seat belt," her eyes met his.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She smiled and leaned close to grab the strap. He could feel her breath on his cheek. She was so close, and she smelled so good.

Beth was aware of how close he was as well. The minute she had leaned over to pull the lever to adjust his seat, she felt the heat of his leg on her breast. It was getting harder to breathe, and the car suddenly felt smaller, closer. She looked at him as she leaned forward.

He felt her breast brush his arm; he looked down and saw that her nipple had become erect. His breath caught as she brushed against him again. She found the clasp and drew the belt over his shoulder as he watched her with his smoldering dark eyes. He wanted to grab her and pull her onto his lap and run his tongue over the sensitive skin on her neck and nibble on her pretty little earlobe. He was getting aroused; he took a deep breath to steady himself and nearly groaned as she pulled the belt tight across his crotch and fastened the clasp with a swift "CLICK!".

She slid over into her seat and started the car. He felt the puff of air from the air- conditioning unit. It was dry and had a chemical smell. His lip pulled up in a sneer. Well, hopefully the drive would be brief. As soon as the car had started; he heard the radio come on. It was playing a song with heavy drums and electric guitar. It seemed so out of character for this petite, fresh faced, modest girl. He looked over at her wondering what else he would learn about her today.

She looked over at him, " I hope you don't mind the music; for me, driving is a little like going into war. It's mayhem," she smirked. "But feel free to change the station if it bothers you." She car pulled forward slow.

Now, he was definitely getting nervous. "War?" he thought. "Ridiculous," he snorted. Still, his wary eyes carefully watched her every move. She sat back in her seat with her hands at ten and two on the steering wheel. She seemed relaxed enough.

"I will apologize now for anything that I may say that may be deemed offensive," she gave him a big smile, "but I can tend to get a little irritated when I drive. I was hoping that people would be a bit more polite here when driving than they are in the States. Alas, it was not to be. It is just as bad, if not worse. People are constantly behaving like idiots, and it irritates me to no end. People take for granted that driving is safe, but it is very dangerous. You are driving at high speeds in what is basically a reinforced tin can."

Severus put his hand on the console and held on lightly. He definitely did not need to be reminded that he was out of control here. He had never liked relinquishing control. Normal, wizarding, forms of travel like aparation and portkeys , well, he was familiar with the risks they presented. He knew that he was very skillful, and thus, the risks were low. Cars, however, were another matter entirely. His stomach lurched as they moved forward. He listened to the dark, driving music on the radio and he heard "I'm on the highway to hell/ No stop signs, speed limit/ Nobody's gonna slow me down …"

The traffic was light until they got on the highway. The traffic wasn't bumper to bumper, but the road was certainly full of drivers moving at a very fast pace. He noticed her hands tense and she went to merge onto the highway. He nervously looked to the right to see that the oncoming car was not going to allow them to merge. He grabbed the grip on the door.

"Stupid, son-of-a . . ." he heard her mutter.

Severus nerves were on end, but he managed to stifle a snort. "Well, this was about to get interesting." He thought. He inconspicuously slid his hand down to his wand.

She slowed the car down a little and merged without further issue. She switched lanes and immediately another car cut in front of her and slammed on its breaks.

"What a jackass," she shouted.

Severus reached his hands forward and gripped the dashboard; his knuckles were white and he felt absolutely nauseous. "Maybe this was a very bad idea," he thought and not for the last time.

"I'm sorry," she said awkwardly.

He looked over at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, can you believe this? " The man who had just cut them off was now going well below the speed limit. Cars were flying by them, and Severus was beginning growing increasingly uncomfortable. He wanted to be out of the car, and he never wanted to step foot in one again. He was seriously consider telling her that he was a wizard, grabbing her arm, and aparating out of the car and back to her house. To hell with the car and any accident such an action might cause.

Beth noticed an opening, put on her blinker, and quickly darted into the next lane. The radio blared some dark, electronic beat… "Sweet dreams are made of these..." The singer started screaming. Severus felt that this must be what it feels like to have your life pass before your eyes. The wrath of Lord Voldemort was nothing compared with this hell. "Fuck" he muttered as he was propelled forward and caught by the seatbelt.

"You have GOT to be kidding me. Look at this ass hole!" she yelled.

Severus wasn't sure what had just happened but he was stunned at the volley of filthy language that vaulted from her pretty lips. He looked over to see her gesturing wildly at the car in front of them. Her lips were parted, her cheeks were flushed, and her brow was drawn down in a frown. Oh yes, she was as sexy as hell when she was mad, and if he hadn't been worried whether or not he was going to be vaulted through the windshield in the next minute, he might have been fighting an erection. He was, however, feeling distinctly shell shocked. "War indeed," he mused.

"Uuuh!" she huffed. "Here we are; this is our exit," she looked over at him and smiled sweetly.

That was when she noticed his white face and the way he was gripping the dashboard.

"Are you all right," her eyebrows rose in response to her question. She looked very concerned.

"I'm fine, just ready to get out of the car." He choked out.

"Oh, well it will be fine. See, the traffic isn't so bad on these side roads." She looked over to see him visibly relax.

Severus reached into his pocket and grabbed a handkerchief and ran it across his forehead.

When they finally reached their destination they were in a quiet park like area, and there were vendors selling various vegetables, seeds, flours, and other wares. Severus sat back in the seat and looked over at Beth.

"I'm really sorry about that. It just kind of slips out," she said sheepishly.

"That was quite a tirade." He said with a straight face. He was secretly wondering if he could provoke her into such a temper. The dominant male in him wondered what it would be like to fight with this seemingly submissive young woman and what it would be like to take her in his arms afterwards. He was willing to bet that she was no sweet miss in bed either. He realized that she was speaking to him again, and he pulled himself from this reverie.

"Yes, well, I would really rather not drive, but since they haven't made an effective method of teleportation, I'm out of options," she said as she pulled down the visor to give her face a quick glance in the little mirror there before getting out of the car.

Severus got out of the car and as they walked towards the vendors, he gave the automobile a rather disgusted look. Beth noticed and grinned mischievously at him. "Would you like me to teach you how to drive? I promise that I'll be more patient with you than I am with other drivers," she smiled at him.

"No," he said rather forcefully. "I think not. While I do not doubt your ability or patience as a teacher, I have no desire, whatsoever, to learn how to drive one of those things." He sneered as he looked down at her.

Beth giggled.

"Cheeky girl," he muttered.

Beth bought a few items, mostly fresh vegetables, which Severus dutifully carried. They passed a stand selling delicious pork pies; Beth bought a couple and they sat on a bench and enjoyed their faire.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said as she licked and sucked on her fingers. Severus was enjoying watching her as she sucked her little fingers into her mouth one by one. He wasn't about to hand her a napkin until she was done.

"Thank you for inviting me," he nearly groaned.

Beth was aware that he was staring at her and watching as she licked the juices off of her fingers. She made a lovely little show of it for him, which was accompanied by soft moans of delight and pleasure. She was heady with the knowledge that he was hanging on her every gesture.

"So, do you have any plans for the summer; are you taking any trips," she leaned toward him as she spoke.

"No, not really. I have a few projects I am working on, but otherwise, I have no definite plans." He pulled a napkin out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she lightly blotted her lovely lips and carefully wiped off her fingers. "Perhaps there is something that I could help you with? I would love to see what you do," she leaned over placing her hand on his thigh. She could feel his thick muscles tense as she slid her hand to his knee.

He leaned closer to her and he lowered his deep velvety voice, "Oh, I'd love to show you everything," he said looking down at her.

Beth was struck by the sudden predatorily nature of his body language. She had a feeling that there was so much more to this confident, virile man that he let on. She swallowed thickly. "I'd love to see it," she dared breathily. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her nipples tightened in a visceral response to his nearness.

Severus watched every detail of this response from the flutter in her neck to the hard little peaks her nipples made as they pressed against her blouse. He felt his groin tighten. He drew a little closer to her. "It might be dangerous, you know," His sonorous voice washed over her.

She looked at his lips through the dark fringe of her lashes and then her sweet doe eyes met his gaze. She moistened her lips, "I trust you."

Severus was about to lean forward when a young child ran past screaming. He watched as Beth blinked, blushed, and sat up. They had both lost themselves in the moment, forgetting that they were in a very public place. Severus looked around disgruntled. He wanted to continue his seduction of her in a less crowded venue.

"Would you like to head back? I can get started on dinner; would you still like to come over?" Severus looked over at her sweet questioning face. How could she question his desire to be around her? He was like a moth to her flame. He could no more resist her than he could cease breathing. In a matter of a few days, he had become consumed with the desire to know her, to have her. When he set his mind to something, he was steadfast in his pursuit of it. Dumbledore had known this and used the knowledge to his advantage. He knew the attraction was mutual, even though he could not understand it. She was young and beautiful, and she could have just about any man she desired. Why she tolerated him he was not sure.

He reached for her hand, and she smiled up at him sweetly as they walked back to her car. He was less than pleased about having to get back into the car. As he sat down, he reached over and pushed the power button on the radio. He was in no mood to listen to the ominous music that had poured forth from the speekers.

"I don't suppose there is a way that we might avoid the highway on the way home?" he groused.

"Well, I suppose we could if you don't mind taking the long way back?" she asked.

"I don't mind."

The ride home was much quieter, and she chatted with him all the way back. She could tell that he was tense, so tried to distract him by telling him about her childhood in Alabama. The drive was peaceful, and when they arrived back at her house Severus found that he had been lulled into a relaxing state by the sound of her sweet voice. He had watched her animated profile as she told him about learning how to cook as a young girl and the hours spent in the kitchen with her mother. She painted a lovely picture of her home life. He was even a little reluctant to get out of the car and break the spell that she had woven over him.


	9. Chapter 9

This one is a long one – and if you don't like Lemons please skip this chapter! Thanks to my wonderful husband who taught me everything I know.. and is as wonderfully snarky as our favorite potion's professor (don't tell him I said so though). Thanks again to my lovely beta reader Ella (The Prince's Phoenix) and read her wonderful story Once Upon a Dream.

Chapter 9

Beth and Severus slipped into a comfortable pattern for the next few weeks. He spent most of his days working in his potions lab thinking about how he would like to earnestly share with her what he was doing. He knew she wouldn't understand, and he was not ready to tell her about his magical heritage or the truth of his profession. He was worried about how she would respond. He felt that they had a long way to go in their relationship before he felt comfortable with the idea of such revelations. But, he was lonely during the days and lived for the evenings when he would join her in her home for dinner.

She came over occasionally to bring him breakfast several mornings. She would make biscuits or croissants. He would usually make a pot of tea, and they would talk in his study. Occasionally she brought a book with her. She would slip off her shoes and curl up her lovely, little feet on his sofa. Sometimes they would chat, and sometimes they would sit in companionable silence, reading. He loved to look over at her as she sat reading in his home. More than the improvements that he had made that summer, she made the place feel like a home with her warm inviting presence. He could imagine spending everyday with her here or anywhere for that matter. She had such a calming effect on him.

Beth enjoyed her time with Severus as well, and though they shared light touches and made excuses to brush up against one another, they had not progressed physically. They were both on the precipice ready to take the plunge, but each was hesitant to take the leap. Beth was worried that Severus did not feel as strongly as she did for him, as he was rather reserved. Severus was paralyzed by his own inexperience in such matters. He had, in fact, never been in a relationship before. Oh he had had women now and then, but these tawdry escapades were no help where his relationship with Beth was concerned. He had never worked out the awkward issues that one is wont to do in adolescence with a first love. He was finding out that being a suitor was much more complex a situation than he had ever anticipated.

Severus was thinking about the evening he had just spent with Beth. She was lovely as usual; She had left her long brown hair down. He loved the way the little tendrils curled around her face. He loved that she was so very feminine, womanly. He thought back to the fantasies he would have about Lily. The two women were so very different. Lily had been his friend in adolescence. She had been a lovely, sweet girl, but she had also been fickle. He realized now that it was the pride of youth that had caused Lily to keep him close, even though she had been in love with James. Perhaps it soothed her ego to keep him on a string as she carried on her romance with the young Gryffindor.

Severus had been frustrated. He never understood how she could like such a callow young man as James. Thinking back to the years he had devoted to her, Severus realized that he was at peace with the loss of his friend. The fantasies that he had dreamt up were empty and based on his own longings for a woman that had never desired him. Beth, however, was another matter entirely. He had become consumed with thoughts of her. Watching her tonight in the kitchen again as she served him dinner, washed dishes, and cleaned up the kitchen had been lovely. He thought of her sweet little mannerisms, the way she tilted her head and put her hand on her cheek as she thought about her next move when they played chess, the way she tilted her chin down and looked up through her lashes when he drew near her, and the way her little nose scrunched when she laughed. He was mesmerized by her. She held a power over him that Lily had never had. Severus wondered what he was waiting for, and he decided that it was time that he make his move.

Startled out of his reverie by a noise next door the tall, lean man looked out of his window and spotted a familiar truck. Lou. He looked, but he did not see the trespasser. Severus felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and quickly went into action. He grabbed his wand and ran out of his study, threw open his front door, and slammed it behind him. Casting a silencing charm on his feet and a disillusionment charm over himself, the dark wizard quickly strode across the yard. He did not see the man along either side of the house. Severus realized that the door was ajar. That was when he noticed the crowbar left on the porch.

Beth walked in the house after telling Severus good night. He had looked into her eyes with his dark orbs and raised her hand up to his lips. She loved the way he held her hand and kissed it. It made her feel special, like a princess. She enjoyed the way he listened to her, and she adored the sound of his deep voice. It made her heart quake in her chest.

The petite woman turned off the lights and decided to head to bed. It had been a long and enjoyable evening full of little touches and sweet glances. She had given him hints, but still he had not kissed her. Frustrated, Beth was getting ready to grab him and do the thing herself. She giggles; well, perhaps not. She was not one to make the first move. Maybe she just needed to give him a little more encouragement?

Beth went into the bathroom and took a shower, got ready for bed, slipped languidly beneath the covers and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Beth was awakened by a rough weight on top of her. A firm hand pressed across her mouth and she could feel heavy hot breath on the side of her face. She tried to scream, but she was unable to. The dead weight on top of her was crushing her. Then she heard the voice.

"That's right, struggle all you like sweetness." Lou's gruff voice was close to her ear. He moved his hand from her mouth.

"Please," she whimpered "Please don't hurt me." She begged.

"Oh, I'm going to do more than that," she felt him grind against her. "You and me are going to have a good time tonight.

Beth shivered with revulsion. "Please, Please don't do this." She pleaded.

"Oh, THIS is all I've thought about since I met you Lovely." He buried his head in her hair and inhaled, "Mmmm you smell so sweet. " Lou began to move his hand down her shoulder. He was on his hands and knees over her, and he relieved some of the pressure on her body as he moved. He was holding her hands with his left hand and touching her with his right.

Beth's mind moved a million miles a minute. She had a gun in the top drawer of her nightstand, but there was no way she could get to it. She tried to mover her arm, but he had it trapped in his firm grasp. Beth decided that she had enough movement in her leg to try and get him off of her. Drawing as much strength as she could, the tenacious woman slammed her knee in his crotch as he crouched over her. Her knee landed in his most sensitive area and the large man yelled "You stupid cunt!"

Severus heard the man yell. "That a girl," he thought.

He didn't want to startle Beth so he removed the disillusionment charm, and with his wand drawn, he stepped carefully into the room. Lou had recovered and wrenched her wrist roughly. Severus watched the man's arm arch back and his fist slammed into Beth's face. She screamed, and Severus went into action casting a stinging hex on Lou, who fell off of the bed and writhed in pain on the floor.

Beth sat up in the bed holding her face and watching as Severus strode into the room like a lunging jungle cat. The graceful wizard pounced, grabbing Lou by the throat and dragging him to his feet. He held the man against the wall and shoved his wand in the man's jaw. Severus was shaking with fury, ready to kill.

"I'll.." "I'll call the cops." Beth yelled in a frightened voice. "Don't let him move."

Severus wanted to tell her that he would take care of the matter in his own way, but he knew that he needed to cal m down. There was no way that he was going to end up in Azkaban for killing this worthless muggle.

Severus muttered "Stupify," and he let Lou's body slam into the floor.

Beth had watched him as she dialed the number on the phone. When someone answered , she gave her address and asked that someone send an officer over as they had captured an intruder. Her body trembled with fear and adrenaline.

Severus walked over to her and held her in his arms comforting her as she cried. He ran his hands through her hair and muttered comforting words to her. A little while later they heard a knock on the door. The police officers came in, and Severus put his wand away quickly lifting the curse off of Lou. Beth told the officers about Lou's advances towards her and how she had rebuffed him. Severus told them that he had seen the man attempt to break into her house weeks ago, but he had been scared off when Severus had turned on the light in his room. Rehashing the events of the night, Beth leaned against Severus and told them about Lou's attempted assault. They took Lou into custody, and asked her to come to the station tomorrow to file a report.

After the officers left, Severus walked her back into her room. He kissed her on the top of the head.

"Why don't you lay down and try to get some sleep," he murmured.

"I, I can't sleep." she looked up at him, her chin trembled.

"Sure you can; he will no longer trouble you." His voice was soft and reassuring. His ran his hands down her back.

Severus moved to step away and pull down the covers on the bed. "Please, lay down," is silky voice pleaded and pulled her over to the bed. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and run his hands over her exquisite body, but he knew she had just had a terrifying experience. The last thing she needed was another man making unwanted advances towards her.

She shrugged off the robe she had grabbed with the officers had arrived. Dark eyes gazed at her swollen face, and he sat on the side of the bed pulling her close. The minute her robe slid down her bare shoulder Severus knew he was lost. He struggled to find some semblance of control, but the longing for her welled up within him.

Severus grabbed his wand and muttered a healing charm as he moved his wand over her cheek. Beth blinked and moved her hand to her cheek. She gasped when she realized there was no longer pain in her cheek or jaw. Looking into his fathomless eyes was like falling endlessly, but her desire was stemmed by the shock of what he had just done.

"How, how did you do that Severus?" she asked. She felt like the heroin of some fantasy novel. "What on earth was going on," she wondered silently.

"I'm a wizard" he said bluntly.

"I don't understand." Her brow furrowed. "Everything happened so fast; I thought I was seeing things. What really happened tonight Severus?"

"I'm a wizard Beth. I used magic to hurt him, and to keep him from hurting you further. I used my wand and cast several spells." Severus stared at her wondering how she would respond. He was wondering if it wouldn't just be better to Obliviate her, but he knew he had intended on telling her about this eventually. He may as well see how she responded. If things went badly, he could always Obliviate her memory tomorrow. He watched her closely for her reaction.

"A…wizard?" Beth paused. She looked at him with large scared eyes. She was a little frightened, but then she thought, "this is Severus." She knew she had nothing to fear. "You're really a wizard?" Her heart seemed to stumble over itself. "How could this be happening; how can this be real" her mind tumbled awkwardly over what he had just shared with her.

"Yes," Severus used his fingers to tuck a strand of hair out of her eyes. He smirked, "I'm really a wizard." She seemed to be taking this fairly well for a muggle. Severus watched the wonder in her large golden eyes.

"What, how, well, how does one become a wizard?" she gawked at him in amazement.

"One is born with magical abilities Beth," he waited for her next question patiently.

"So you can do magic," a giggle escaped her, "MAGIC!" she jumped up and down and turned around in a little dance. Severus smirked and enjoyed the lovely picture she made as the finer points of her anatomy bounced in front of him. It was enthralling.

"Is it a secret then," her head tilted as she questioned him. Her voice was low and conspiratorial.

"Yes. You must tell no one; can you do that? Can you keep this secret?" his eyes met hers in a penetrating stair. Her sweet, whispered words were intoxicating. Thoughts of her voice, her breath trailing such light, raspy little moans in his ear filled his head.

"Of course Severus, Of COURSE," her features were alight with excitement. "A wizard. Now THAT is very sexy." She giggled. She was stunned by his admission. Magic was real, and this mysterious, dark, and handsome man was a wizard. It is a little much to take in.

"Well, there is a great deal more to tell," his penetrating gaze caressed her face. He was secretly pleased that she found his being a wizard… sexy. He smirked.

She seemed curious as she looked into his eyes. "Can I see it?" she asked like a inquisitive child. She cocked her head to the side.

He knew she was asking to see his wand, but the way she uttered the phrase made him take a lingering look at her cleavage. She was so delectably on display. His fingers grasped the thick shaft of the wand, drew it out and placed in her outstretched hands. She cradled the black wand gently. "Can you show me some magic?" her voice trembled. She could feel something tingling around them; there was something about the sleek black wood that touched a part of her.

Severus picked up a knickknack from her nightstand and transfigured it into a lovely pink rose while watching her face closely.

Beth gasped, looked at him in awe and reached out to take the flower. She brought it to her nose and smelled. "It even smells real." She said with wonder. Severus smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Severus, this is unbelievable," skeptically she gazed at him. "Can you show me something else," she said eagerly.

Severus levitated her alarm clock and transfigured her dresser into a large table.

"Oh!" Beth squealed. Overcome with awe and amazement her eyes tried to take it in.

She looked at him, smiled and reached over and touched the surface of the table. "Can you turn it back?" Severus muttered the counter spell under his breath and the dresser returned to normal and the clock rested on the nightstand.

"This seems so surreal." She looked at him with wide eyes. "Amazing and a little frightening."

"I would never harm you," Severus' eyes held hers for a long moment.

Beth felt her breath catch aware now that she was in the presence of a very powerful man to whom she felt irresistibly drawn. Feeling at once timid and bold, her soft hand slid against his angular cheek and wide eyes met his piercing gaze.

"Thank you," she said timidly. "for saving me tonight, for trusting me with your secret."

Severus was aware of the proximity of their bodies. She stood in front of him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Her body drew nearer as she stepped closer between his legs and bent close and kissed his cheek softly, "Thank you, Severus" Looking into his midnight eyes she felt as if she had been swept away on a dark and tumultuous tide of desire. Everything about this man made her feel alive, desired, and helpless. Like thunder and lightning, he was a force to be reckoned with.

His eyes grew dark. His gaze traveled over the little nightie that she wore. It was short, and he could see every detail of her lovely curves. She wore matching little panties, and her legs were deliciously bare. The little top was held up by spaghetti straps and her breasts were barely covered. Severus swallowed; he could feel his body responding. He did not want to force himself on her on this of all nights. His eyes followed her as she drew closer, and her thighs pressing against his. The heat radiated off of her body. Her pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips and she lean forward. She placed her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. Severus could not believe that such a beautiful woman desired him. Deft little fingers wove through his hair setting his nerves on fire.

Beth could barely contain her desire for him. She could feel the warmth of him next to her and smell his masculine sent. Wanting nothing more than for him to take her in his arms and kiss away the memories of tonight, her body gravitated towards his.

Severus groaned and leaned forward. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her against him. Their lips met in a tender kiss that became fueled by their pent up passion. He moved his hand to her hip and pulled her against him feeling her thighs press against his hard member. He heard her gasp and felt her lips open. His searching tongue dove into her hot, moist mouth.

Beth could feel his hard cock press against her, and her body responded. Dampness saturated her silken panties, and she lightly pressed herself against him again. She whimpered. Beth wanted him desperately. The weeks of light touches and sweet kisses has left her breathless and wanting more. She found that she ached for his touch, for those long fingers to create delightful shivers as they danced in scorching patterns across her bare skin.

Severus ran his other hand up her rib cage to the underside of her breast. He moved his thumb under the weight of her breast and felt her arch against him pushing her breast to his chest. He could feel her nipples harden under the thin fabric. He moved his hand up to cup her breast. She whimpered as he ran his thumb over her hard nipple. He broke their kiss. They were both breathing heavily. He looked into her heavily lidded eyes, he grasped his hands under her legs and around her back and placed her on the bed. All of his will fled and he could not restrain his desire to pleasure her to feel her skin next to him, her sweet moans in his ear.

Beth writhed against his strong firm hands and he slid them over her body. She reveled in the feel of his long lean body as he pressed against her. "Severus," she moaned and gasped as his body molded to hers. She had never wanted anything more than she wanted him now. "Please touch me." She begged

Severus looked down at her, "So beautiful," he said before plundering her lips once again. He worked his way to her neck nibbling on her earlobe. He was enjoying the pleasurable little noises she was making. She moved beneath him and arched into his touch. He groaned and rubbed his hardness against her again in a longing as old as time. His lips kissed a scalding path down her throat, over her sensitive collar bone and down to the valley of her breasts. He looked up at her. She had never been more beautiful; her lips were bruised from his kisses and her eyes were glazed with the same desire he was feeling. Merlin, he wanted her and only her to warm his bed for the rest of his life.

Beth shivered as he kissed her neck. She could smell his hot masculine musk and feel him pres his thick cock against her thigh. It felt very large and very hard; she shivered. His tongue run between her breast, and her body responded with the tingling pull of her nipples. They begged to be touched to find relief in his hot mouth.

"Beth" he whispered. Severus bent his head to her lovely round breasts. He looked up at her as he kissed along the beautiful sweet curves. He felt her push her silk covered breast against his mouth slightly. Her lips were open and she was panting. He took her nipple in his mouth, and she arched against his mouth. He groaned and pushed back the straps on her nightie to get a full view of her glorious breasts. "Beautiful," he murmured. He watched as a pretty blush stole across her cheeks. He felt something in him coil up to strike; her responses evoked the masculine predator in him. His mouth found her nipple and he sucked and kissed the hard little nub.

She moaned and gasped, "Oh, Severus." She felt his tongue flick over her nipples. He sucked and lightly ran his teeth over her erect flesh. Seductive little moans escaped her lips and her hips lightly pushed against his groin. She reveled in the rough groan of his response. Aching for him, she could feel the dampness grow between her legs.

He turned his attention to the other breast and felt her hand slide up his back and into his hair holding him against her. Severus moved his hand down the curve of her waist, her hip and caressed her silky thighs. His hand slid closer to the apex of that lovely flesh and waited for her to ask him to stop, waiting to feel her pull away. Beth moaned as he continued to lavish kisses on her beautiful breasts. He caressed the warm valley of her thighs and felt her tremble beneath him. Supple hips once again raise up to press against his hard member, and he took this as consent to continue. He kissed his way back up her neck and moved his hands up to nestle against her womanhood. He found her little nub through the silk of her panties. She gasped, moaned and pushed herself against his hand.

"Mmm, do you like that," his voice was rich and deep. "You are so beautiful Beth. I want to give you pleasure. Can I pleasure you?"

Beth could not resist him, his voice was deep and compelling. "Please. Severus, Oh"

He continued to rub the little nub, and then he murmured a spell that divested her of the silky little panties. She sucked in a breath as she felt the cool air against her moist heat. She had never burned for a man in this way; pleading, she urged him on with whimpers of desire.

He brought his hand against the silky curles nestled in the crux of her thighs. He pressed down with his palm and found her sensitive little nub again. She began to grind against his hand. He slipped his fingers between her folds and found her to be extremely wet. He groaned against her neck and felt his cock throb. Severus was in awe over her response to him, this beautiful woman whom he had come to care for deeply. Desire filled him and he thrummed with it and with the need to show her how much he wanted her . . . loved her.

He pushed his hard length against her thigh. He was not going to take her tonight, no matter how great his need. This was her night. He was going to pleasure her, hold her to him, and make her feel safe, desired, and cherished.

Beth gasped as his fingers rubbed her most intimate areas. She could not contain her response. She writhed and moaned as he drew her to pleasurable heights. "Oh Severus, that feels so good." On fire with his ministrations, her body beckoned for more and her heart opened to the love that he put into every kiss, every caress.

He slid his fingers inside if her slick wetness while rubbing her hard clit. She began to move in a rhythm against his fingers. "Beth" he whispered. She was lost in the fog of desire. He called to her again; his warm breath against her neck. "Beth, I want to taste you."

He heard the intake of her breath.

"Spread you legs." He commanded. "Spread you legs my beauty; I want to taste you, kiss you here." He withdrew his fingers and rubbed her swollen lips. She whimpered. "Can I kiss you here?" he asked as he continued to rub her; his fingers teased her.

"Please, oh Severus, oh, please" she begged.

He loved the feeling of being in control; he ignored the desire burning within him, and he reveled in the helplessness that his touch had inspired in her. "Oh, you are exquisite my lovely," he said as he kissed her full lips. He kissed his way down her full breasts, over her stomach and to the lovely curls between her legs. He delicately ran his tongue between her cleft and over her sensitive little nub. She bucked her hips.

He grabbed her hips and held them to the bed, "Mmmm, patience." He laughed low and huskily.

Beth moaned as he continued to tease her, lick her. His tongue found her little clit and licked and sucked. He drew her lips into his mouth tasting her tart, sweet unique flavor. "Mmmm you taste so good." He said. He put his mouth to work again and slowly placed his fingers in her wet opening. He slid them inside her and felt her hips begin to move in a rhythm with his fingers as he continued to lick her little nub relentlessly. She was panting and gasping. Her hands found his shoulders and wove within his hair holding him to her. Her cries became more insistent. He loved that she was so vocal.

"Oh yes, my beauty, do you like that?"

"Oh Severus," she moaned "Yes" her hips thrust her against him and he slid another finger inside of her. "Oh, Oh, Oh" she took them inside of her with quicker more insistent thrusts of her hips as he licked her tortured little nub. "Yes, yes, oh OH OH OH OH, SEVERUS!" Severus felt the muscles of her sheath clench against his fingers. He watches her nipples harden. Her head was thrown back and she was gasping and writhing. It was the most stunning thing he had ever seen, her beautiful climax. He sat up and watched her. Her hips slowed their thrust , and he felt the tremors of her wet womanhood die down as her climax waned.

She was looking at him, and he brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked off her silky essence, "positively sinful." He drawled after drawing his fingers out of his mouth.

She blushed. He slid his hands up her hips and leaned down against her. He kissed her full lips. "Did you enjoy that" he asked?

"Oh God, Severus; that was amazing" she crooned. "Let me touch you now" she said as she ran her fingernails lightly down his back.

"No, this was your night," he said. He felt her arch her hot core against his straining bulge. It was absolute torture.

"Please Severus; I want to give you pleasure," she panted.

" You already have," he gasped as she began to grind against him. He was swiftly losing control. He felt her deft little hand slide down his side and reach between them and squeeze as she slid along his length.

"OH Beth" he groaned and rocked into her. "I, oh Merlin. This was just for you," He pleaded.

"Please, Severus," she begged… "Let me kiss you here," her voice begged as she continued to stroke him.

He tried to resist, but he was lost. Years of denying himself had let him with little armor against such an attack.

She pushed against him and he rolled on his back. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off of his shoulders as she kissed him. She helped him take off his shirt. She ran her nails lightly over his nipples. He moaned. Beth began to nibble on his ear and blow in his ear. Severus groaned. She was straddling him, and he could feel her dampness through his trousers. "Merlin," he moaned as he grabbed her hips and held her against him as he trusted his hips against her. She slowly kissed her way down his muscled chest to the trail of dark hair that led to his manhood. She unbuttoned his pants and slowly slid down his zipper working his pants down his hips and his legs. Purposefully, slim hands slid down his calves removing his socks and shoes. Then those deft little fingers drew down his black boxers. She gasped when she saw his large hard length. He was so long and thick.

As she took his throbbing cock in her hands, he moaned. He watched as she bent her head down to take him into her mouth. "Merlin" he whispered. She deftly ran her tongue over him teasing the tip and licking the sensitive areas along his length. She stroked him with her hand while taking as much of him as she could into her mouth. His breath became labored and he began moving his hips as his hard cock thrust into her mouth. She broke away from him and he moaned in disappointment. Stroking him with eager hands, he felt her tongue glide over his balls. He grunted, "Beth," he moaned as his hand slipped down to cradle her head. She nibbled, kissed, and licked him there. He had never experienced anything like this, but he was thoroughly enjoying it. Her lovely lips worked a magic of their own. She returned her lips to his length, and he couldn't stifle the pleasurable moan that slipped from his lips.

She sat up, and he watched her lovely breasts bounce. "Do you like it" she asked almost timidly.

"Yes, please continue" he said wryly, arching his eyebrow.

She returned her lips to him with urgency, and he began to breathe more quickly. She took him into her mouth and stroked and sucked him, moving him into her mouth with faster strokes, flicking her tongue over his cock in her mouth. The feelings were new and achingly delicious. He groaned, "Oh Beth, watch I'm about to…" He felt her grip tighten on him sliding her slickened hands down his shaft and following with her hot mouth. She took him deeper into her mouth moving more urgently. He was about to spill his seed, and he tried to warm her. She was not relenting, and he lost control, threw his head back and loudly groaned her name. He felt her latch on to him with her mouth and suck. He gasped. She swallowed him. He felt her open her mouth to draw a breath before returning her lips to his pulsing shaft and licking him clean. "Merciful Merlin" he said in a horse whisper.

He felt her slide her sweet body up his. She pressed her lovely breasts against him and curled against him like a little cat. He smiled. She tentatively put her head on his shoulder and her arm around his chest, and then she snaked her silky leg up his thigh before resting it across the juncture of his thighs. He reached down to pull her leg up firmly against him. He groaned. He felt her damp curls press against his thigh. Severus turned to look at her love shining in his eyes, and she shyly met his gaze with feelings that rivaled his own. He loved that she was at once so fiercely responsive yet timid. It made him positively want to growl, it bolstered something in him that was completely masculine, dominant. He slid his hand down her back and over her hip holding her to him. He bent his head to capture her lips in a light, sweet kiss. He whispered a charm and drew the blankets up over them and the fell asleep as they twined together as lovers are wont to do.


	10. Chapter 10

JKR owns the HP universe. I own nothing. Thank you to everyone who has read and left a review! Thank you to my lovely beta reader Ella (The Prince's Phoenix). Please remember this is an AU. I'm sorry if my version does not sit well with you. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 10

Severus woke more rested than he had felt in years, yet he felt an emptiness besides him that should have been filled by a warm little body. He was disappointed to find that she was not there. He listened, and he heard her moving around in the kitchen. "Should have known," he mumbled. He rubbed his long, masculine fingers over his face and through his hair and blinked his sleep filled eyes. His hair felt greasy. He wondered if he had time for a quick shower. He quickly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom retrieving his discarded clothing.

With a quick Scourgify, his clothes were cleaned. He ran the water and looked around. He smirked at the disorder in her bathroom. There were little bottles of lotion, perfume, and Merlin knew what all over the counter. He opened a door at the other end of the bathroom while the water ran, and he found her closet. It was cavernous. A very economical man, Severus kept a very limited wardrobe. He was in awe at the rows of clothing hung on racks that extended to the ceiling. What caught his attention were the hanging lacy bits in the front. She had them hung up by color, braziers, pretty, lacy under things. He did not want to be caught in her closet.

After a quick glance into the bedroom, he decided to shower. He found a small linen closet and grabbed a soft fluffy towel and washcloth. He walked over to the bright, porcelain tub. The water was warm and inviting, and her tub was clean. He grabbed what seemed to be hair cleanser, poured some in his hand, and sniffed. It smelled like some kind of flowers. "Well, it could be worse," he mused. Quickly bathing, he exited the tub smelling a little more floral than he would have liked. Making a mental note to bring some of his own items over for occasions such as these, he dressed and headed towards the delightful noises he heard coming from the kitchen.

He leaned his back against the door frame and crossed his long legs languorously. Dark glittering eyes followed her as she moved near the stove. She wore a short silky robe that ended mid-thigh. Her lovely, curvy tan legs were deliciously on display. He knew that what he wanted for breakfast, her on the table with those lovely legs spread and his mouth buried… unknowingly he groaned audibly. He thought about the night before, and he was glad that they hadn't gone all the way. Though, he mused, he had thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the exploration of her body, and just remembering the way she had responded was making him ache. But, he knew they needed to have a serious conversation about his past. He did not want her finding out about what he had done from someone else.

He knew she would not fully understand, but he felt that he owed her the truth before they went any further. "Went any further," he thought, snorting softly. Merlin's beard they had gone pretty far. He was unsure how to begin. Should he tell her before he took her to Hogwarts? Running his long fingers through his hair, he exhaled; there was no good way to go about it. So, it was simply a matter of sitting her down and explaining as best he could. She would have questions, and he would just have to be patient. Then, they could move forward if she was still interested in him after finding out that he had once allied himself with one of the darkest and most evil Wizards of their age. Scared, he realized he was scared, and this was a very new experience for a man so use to commanding, dominating, and cowing any opposition. This little bit of a woman had him on tenterhooks.

He stealthily walked into the kitchen and slid behind her. She had her hair pulled up in a clip on top of her hair, messy curls playfully flitted against the back of her neck and her delicate little ear. He wanted to taste it. Those long, thick fingers slid down her back (she jumped and squeaked a little, he snickered) trailing down to the curve of her waist and her lovely hips. His fingers pushed into the flesh there and pulled her against him as his mouth caught her ear and then her sensitive lobe lightly in his teeth. Beth could feel his warm breath in her ear, down her neck.

"Good morning," she said breathily.

He chuckled warmly and purred, "indeed," he kissed the top of her head and watched as she plated the eggs over toasted muffins and bacon. She ladled hollandaise sauce over them. It smelled divine. She picked up the plates and turned; he moved back so that she could maneuver to the table. She sat down, and her robe rode higher on her thighs. She was wearing the little negligee set from the night before, and he found it hard to concentrate on what he had to tell her.

"I want to thank you for last night," he began awkwardly.

A small smile flitted across her lips, "You're welcome, Severus," she said huskily, "thank you."

He swallowed thickly and took a sip of coffee before continuing. His long, elegant fingers fidgeted across the cool table cloth. His wary eyes met her steady gaze.

"I want to make my intentions known, but there is something important I need to tell you," his eyes were wide with trepidation.

"Oh no," her hand rose and her fingers slid across her forehead and into her hair. With her head down and her eyes closed, "Is this where you tell me that it's been fun, but you don't want anything serious," her voice shook?

Severus pulled his chair near hears and caught her left hand in his, "No, Beth, that couldn't be further from the truth" his face earnestly pleaded with her.

She blinked and looked at him with such raw emotion; leaning forward, he brought his large hands up to gently cup her face.

"Beth, I want you in every way that a man could want a woman, but I want you to know what you are getting into before we go any further. I don't want to lose you; however, it would be unfair of me to continue such intimacy without revealing to you my… unsavory past. If you find . . . ," he paused and went on quickly, "if you find that you cannot in good conscious continue to . . . associate with me, I would understand. But, the revelations of last night merely skim the surface of what you need to know about who I am and what I have done." His hands gently released her face, and he ran his thumb across her soft lips. His dark brows drew together in a worried expression.

"Severus, there is nothing that you could tell me that would change the way I feel about you. I don't know how, but I know that you are a good man. I have always had such premonitions in these matters." She thought back to the day she had met Matt; she had known then that it would end badly. But the need to have someone in her life had driven her to push those feelings aside. She knew the moment he had cheated; the panic attacks had lasted for weeks before she finally got the nerve to confront him. When she chose to listen to it, that part of her was never wrong.

Pleading eyes met hers, "I hope you still feel that way after you have heard what I am about to tell you."

Severus took his time explaining the rise of Voldemort and the foolish mistake he, Severus, had made as a young man. He even briefly told her of his friendship with Lily, his alienation of her, and how he had related the prophecy to Voldemort in an effort to gain more clout. As a foolish boy, power had become his driving need. The torments of youth had driven him to crave acceptance and respect. The lure of dark magic had been intoxicating. The most difficult part was telling her about Lily's death; the guilt still gnawed at him. Tears stung his eyes. Beth leaned forward to grab his hand and squeeze. Her eyes clouded with tears when he told her that Lily's sacrifice had saved her baby, Harry Potter.

Severus explained his years of service to the Order after Voldemort's resurrection, the role he had to play, and how he had watched colleagues like Charity Burbage die without lifting a finger. The only thing he was proud of was the way that he had, with the help of Dumbledore, managed to learn how to break the Unbreakable Vow he had made to Narcicca Malfoy. Severus told her of the clever ruse they had devised, which would place his body in stasis and allow the healing potion Severus had created to cure Dumbledore of the curse inflicted by the Horcrux. Together, they had invented a spell Reprobra Kedavra, false death, which fooled all who had witnessed Albus' "death" in the Astronomy Tower. Severus had become a master at casting it almost silently and inflecting the last word in the spell as a ruse to convince those present when it was cast.

Pausing, his hands shook as he told her of Voldemort's desire to wield the elder wand and his belief that Severus was its master. Had Dumbledore not awoken in time to find him in the shrieking shack and apparate him to his potions lab, he would be dead. He was infinitely grateful that the most powerful Wizard of this age was the one to have tended to him. Had it been any other, it was quite likely that death would have taken him.

"What you must understand," he intoned darkly, "is that I have done terrible things, terrible things. While I have sought to make amends, repair these wrongs, there is no way to fully do so. It is only by the grace of Albus Dumbledore that I sit here today and not in some cell in Azkaban. It is what I disserve, Azkaban." Dark, pain filled eyes looked up at her, "I'm a monster." He whispered. Anguish and despair huddled in the grooves of his face. "I want you to know what you will be facing if you should decide to continue this relationship. There are those in my world, many, who despise me, and it will, at times, be uncomfortable, at best, to be seen with me. Those stormy, troubled eyes looked into hers, "if you should wish it, I can make you forget," he waved his hand, "all of this, me. I would keep my distance and allow you to continue you life without further interruption."

"NO!" she gasped, "Severus, no. You brave man," tender fingers combed back the curtain of hair that flanked his face. Tenderly, slowly, her lips grazed his forehead, his nose, his lips. It was, he thought, an ablution. He dared to hope.

"Severus, you were a boy. You were a silly, stupid boy, but you realized your mistake. As you say, that does not relieve you of your responsibility, but how could I condemn you after all you have done, after the years of your life that you have given in an effort to fight against that monster? Please, don't make me forget you. It is my hope that I can give you some measure of happiness to make up for the sorrow that you've endured." Her heart broke for this terribly wounded man. Had he had so few stick by him that he was willing to believe she would dissert him at the first sign of trouble? She admitted to herself that she was already deeply, irrevocably in love with him, her dark gothic hero.

Soft little hands pushed his shoulders back as she moved forward and sat on his lap. Warmth enveloped him, her smell, her lovely arms pressed around him, and her sweet face pressed against his neck. She kissed his scar. Scalding, silent tears trailed down his face expressing his shame, his relief.

"I'm here; I will always be here."

And despite his reservations and his past experiences, he believed her.


	11. Chapter 11

JKR owns the HP universe, I own nothing. Thank you again to my lovely beta reader Ella for all of her hard work! Thank you to my readers. I appreciate your support! Remember this is AU and Dumbledore is alive ;o)

Chapter 11

Beth held Severus and placed gentle kisses on his temple. He seemed to relax under her ministrations.

She placed her small hand under his chin and tilted his face until their eyes met, "Now," she smiled playfully, "do you think you can warm our breakfast after all of the hard work I've put into it?" she asked.

He smiled as she continued to run her fingers through his hair; her nails were lightly raking his scalp. He enjoyed the intimate way she was wrapped around him. She was so sweet and lovely; he watched the way the light from the window played upon her charming face. Again, he was struck by the thought that she seemed so young. In truth, he had no idea how old she was. He blushed; well, surely she had finished some sort of graduate school if she was a teacher. Unless she was some sort of child genius.

With a flick of his wrist, he cast a warming charm on their plates. She slid off of his lap, and he quickly drew his hands around her and resituated her on his lap. "Not so fast," his deep, rumbling voice teased. He did not want to lose the feeling of her against him just yet. Her body was so soft, yielding, and the smell of her was intoxicating.

"Beth," he began tentatively. He had no idea how one asked a woman her age tactfully. He supposed there was no other way to put it, "how old are you?"

Beth giggled, "how old do you think I am?" She enjoyed the intense wave of discomfort that settled over him.

"Well, if I had to guess, I would say that you are at least Twenty-four," he looked at her curiously.

She threw her head back and laughed and kicked her legs with glee. "Really? Humph," she huffed as she decidedly slid off his lap and into her chair. Severus pierced her with his most laconic gaze.

"Weeell?" his eyebrow arched.

"You're way off," she threw him a mischievous smile.

He swallowed nervously. "_Way off_," sneering, he paused. "In what way?" His voice was dry and without humor.

Beth met his mirthless gaze and smiled, "Oh Severus, I'm Thirty-four! Can't a girl have some fun?"

"Thirty-four?" He breathed a sigh of relief. If she had been 24, he would have had issues tying such a young, beautiful girl to him. She was certainly mature enough, but he would have felt like a cad. As it was, she looked like she was not long out of the school room. What would people think, likely that he had her under the Imperius curse. Who would believe that such a beautiful woman would come to his bed willingly? He knew very well what he looked like, and he was more than aware of the common sentiment held by a good portion of the Wizarding world.

"Yes. I've always looked much younger than my actual age. Good genes and a baby face. Does it bother you that I'm practically an old maid?"

He laughed; it was like a deep, loud bark, "You are hardly an old maid." His eyes roamed over her face; she did have a sweet roundness that harkened to youth. She was so earthy in a way that most women lacked. The set of her large eyes and her sweet round cheeks were enticing. He had never been drawn to the young girls in his classes, but there was something entirely different about the youth and vitality she projected. If he didn't know better, he would think she could be part Veela. However, she lacked the sexual lure that practically dripped off those of Veela heritage. True, she was a beautiful woman, but her beauty was of a different, sweeter sort. She evoked a sense of longing and the promise of peace and fulfillment rather than a raw, needy lust.

"Would you feel differently if I were younger?" her eyes were full of concern.

"Yes, if we are being honest." His dark eyes met hers, "I do not think that I could let you go, but I would indeed feel terrible to ask you to give up your youth and spend it with such a dour old man."

It was her turn to laugh; "Severus, you are sweet, but age is just a number. Speaking of numbers, how old are you?"

Severus met her gaze. "Ancient," he remarked drolly. He was scared to ask her to guess. He knew that time and strain had weathered his face beyond his years, but he was curious. "It is your turn to guess" the corner of his mouth quirked.

"Forty-two" she said without hesitation.

"Well that was rather charitable of you," he smirked. "I'm Forty," he looked out of the window feeling a little awkward.

He felt her move closer, and her soft hand slid across his cheek. Severus, I would still feel the same for you if you were . . . Sixty. It makes no difference to me how old you are."

"Sixty, That's preposterous. You cannot be serious. The very idea . . .," His head shook and his raven hair caressed his firm jaw. "I would never presume at sixty," dark brows knit and his forehead furrowed.

"Oh Severus, don't be silly. And you're not sixty, so you don't have to worry about fighting off the advances of a woman almost half your age," Beth giggled and began to eat her breakfast. "It's cold again; warm it please, " she commanded.

"Cheeky girl" he grumbled darkly and waved his wand.

After breakfast, Severus sat at the table slowly drinking a cup of coffee and watched as Beth moved about the kitchen in her short robe. He briefly considered using magic to clean up the mess, but he was enjoying the view. Every time she leaned forward to wipe off a countertop or put a dish away, his eyes devoured the site of her naked thighs. A few times he even spied her scantily clad, round bottom; It was positively breathtaking. He was going to be hard all day thinking about her with those curls falling haphazardly down around her face and her robe gaping open providing him with a peek of her thinly covered breasts.

"I thought we might visit Hogwarts today," he said huskily. He was poised with his thumb on the side of his chin watching the way her robe was slowly riding higher and higher as she bent to grab the cleanser from under the cabinet. She bent all the way over, and he could see … everything, her bottom, her . . . and even her breasts as they struggled to free themselves from the bit of silk that barely held them in place.

Beth looked between her legs at him, met his hooded eyes and she knew. Oh, she knew she had a captive audience. It was time for a little fun.

Severus shifted in his chair as she slowly stood up. Turning on the dishwasher, she dried her hands and began to untie her robe slowly. "Then, I had better go get ready," she purred. Her nails lightly raked across the white shirt that covered his chest as she walked by. She dropped the robe at the bedroom door. He stood quickly, turned to watch her and upset the chair. His hair furled around his face with the swift movement and lightly tickled his jaw.

Her hands reached down on either side of her and lifted the little nightie over her head; the bit of silk fluttered to the floor. He followed her into the bedroom; dark, fathomless eyes followed her intensely. Her bare back was tanned save for a small white line that was likely due to her swimsuit. As if mesmerized, his feet were planted, and his glittering eyes followed her progress. She placed her sensuous hands on her narrow waist and brought down her nimble thumb, hooking onto the thin strap that held her panties on her lush, round hips. Shimmying them down slowly, she bent her knees; and in a movement almost too quick for him to catch, she dropped them to the floor, picked them up with her toes, looked over her shoulder, and threw them at him. He blinked as they hit his thigh just to the left of his very hard member. Severus stood rooted to the spot while listening to her shower. "This gives new meaning to the phrase "a long, hard day,'" he snorted.

Severus left a brief note stating that he would return shortly and asking her to pack an overnight bag. He decided that they would stay in his chamber that evening. He was sure that she would take pleasure in exploring Hogwarts. It would be wonderful to take some time and allow her to enjoy her first visit. There was so much to see, and he knew that there would be several professors there, including one nosy headmaster, who would want to meet the woman who had captured his heart.

Severus changed quickly and grabbed a few vials to take over to Beth's house. The idea of bathing in floral scented soap did not appeal to him. His long strides could not carry him back to her soon enough. He nearly flew up her porch steps and anxiously threw open her front door.

Beth squeaked with surprise as Severus jerked open her front door just as she was about to grab the doorknob. "Oh, you startled me," her heart thrummed in her chest and her slim hand fluttered to her throat like a startled little bird.

He took her in; it had only been a few minutes. It had felt too long. His hands slid slowly around her shoulders and he pulled her to him slowly bending down to capture her lips in a sweet, searching kiss. Warm golden eyes smiled up at him. She was wearing green. His hungry eyes devoured her. The sleeveless dress she wore had a demure, square neckline. It was decorated with embroidered cut outs of leaves across the bust and waist, and lovely pleats nipped in her waist and flared out into a full skirt that fell just below her knees. She looked positively charming. He noticed that she even had a black cardigan draped over her arm and silver earrings in her ears – very Slytherin.

Looking into his vulnerable eyes, Beth smiled. This man was such a wonderful mystery. Never had she met a man who emanated such power and yet such vulnerability. Severus took her bag from her hand and walked her back into the living room.

"Aren't we going to Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yes, but we are going to apparate," after the hell that he had endured in her car, he was secretly looking forward to her reaction to apparition.

"Apparate, how does that work?"

"You must hold on to me tightly. The sensation is altogether unpleasant initially, but once you have done it several times it becomes more tolerable. Are you ready?" he was not unmoved by the wide eyed look of terror in her eyes. "You are perfectly safe Love," callused fingers stroked her jaw as he placed a chaste kiss on her upturned lips.

"I trust you," she murmured as she buried her face into his chest, inhaled his arousing sent and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

He could feel the nervous energy coming off of her in waves. Struck by her vulnerability, he slid his arm around her trembling shoulder and held her to him tightly.

An unnatural tugging sensation seemed to pull at her naval, and she felt as if she was being pulled through a vacuum and squeezed out the other end. The experience left her shaken and nauseous. Severus caught her against him, dropping her bag on the path that led to Hogwarts. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be ok." Her face was pale and she covered her mouth with her small hand. Eyes closed, she breathed in deeply inhaling a loamy freshness quite different from the fragrant, dry air of her home. Looking up at Severus, she noticed that they were surrounded by trees, and in front of them stood a tall iron gate. She could feel her skin tingling. "Is that it," she said with disappointment. The gate looked rusted and dilapidated. There seemed to be some sort of ruin, perhaps an old castle, behind the gate. Everything seemed to shimmer; it was as if there was something just out of her reach. She walked forward and touched the air. It was the same sort of tingling she had felt while holding Severus' wand. She reached her hand forward to feel the shimmering air, and a bolt of energy rocketed through her overwhelming her senses.

Severus had never seen a Muggle react to the wards that had been placed over Hogwarts. He had expected her to experience some reluctance to enter the grounds. What he did not anticipate was her current reaction. Curiously, she wove her hands into the magic barrier that enveloped the grounds. These wards had been in place for hundreds of years. Something about her reaction seemed unusual. When suddenly she was enveloped by a blinding shock of magical energy, Severus started. He leaped forward to catch her as she feinted.

Severus quickly maneuvered the wards, opened the gate, and carried Beth up to the castle. He was met on the steps by Dumbledore.

Eyes twinkling merrily, the old wizard laughed. "My, my Severus, what have you got there?"

"Albus, I've no time for any foolishness. This is Beth, and I am not quite sure what just occurred. I trust you received my message via floo? I am sorry that I did not give you more notice, but we decided to make a trip this very morning. What I did not anticipate was her reaction to the wards. She is a Muggle, but for some reason she seemed to see the magic used to construct the extensive wards that protect the castle from prying Muggle eyes."

"Come, come," Albus gestured with his thin weathered hands. His long silver beard fluttered in the morning breeze. He peered over the rim of his glasses once more to the pretty girl that Severus held in his arms. His lips curled in a smile, "come, my boy, let's bring your lovely guest to my office. It is much closer than the infirmary. We should run some diagnostic tests. I'm sure it's nothing serious," the old wizard hurried down the stone corridors, periwinkle robes fluttering, while the figures in the animated portraits nosily tried to catch a glimpse of the unconscious form held by the notoriously gruff potions master.

Once in Albus' brightly lit office, Severus gently placed Beth on a plush burgundy sofa. Fawkes cooed and flew over to rest on the arm of the sofa. He leaned down his gorgeously plumed head to get a closer look at Beth. He nuzzled her cheek softly with his beak and began to sing. It was euphoric. Severus and Albus watched as Beth's eyes fluttered. Smiling as if in a daze, Beth's eyes opened and searched nervously until she spotted the dark clad frame of her lover.

As the last strains of Fawkes' song settled over them, she asked "Severus, where are we?"


	12. Chapter 12

The usual disclaimer – JKR owns the HP universe. Thank you for reading, and thanks to my lovely beta reader Ella!

Chapter 12

Beth blinked and looked up to see Fawkes' beautiful eyes looking down at her. "Well, hello there, you gorgeous thing," she reached up to scratch beneath his cheek and behind his head. Fawkes leaned into her gentle touch.

"Oh my, but you are beautiful," she sat up slowly; her soft curls fell about her shoulders. Her gentle eyes looked earnestly at Fawkes and turned to take in the astonishing figure that was Albus Dumbledore. He looked like Gandalf might look if he were going to a ball. Beth snickered at the thought. His robes were beautiful and ornate, and they matched his merry blue eyes. His beard was positively magnificent; it trailed down his chest like an unruly bale of white cotton fibers.

"Oh, my boy," the older wizard spoke slowly, "but isn't she a pretty one. My, my, Severus," he chuckled warmly and looked over the rim of his half moon spectacles. "Well, my dear, Welcome to Hogwarts. I must apologize for the unusual reaction you seem to have had to our wards. You have already met Fawkes; he is a phoenix and quite a spectacular specimen if I do say so myself. I am Albus Dumbldore, headmaster. Lemon drop?" he asked as he pointed to the little dish of sweets that sat on the corner of his desk. Beth shook her head.

Severus fought to subdue a smile as he heard her snort and mumble "Hogwarts."

She looked around at the beautiful room. There were all manner of glittering objects she could not identify. The curtains were made of some rich heavily embroidered fabric; the decor spoke of a rich comfort. A large window looked out over a breathtaking view of a lake surrounded in the distance by mountains. Despite feeling a little out of place; she felt entirely welcome in this room with its cheery fire and moving portraits. Moving portraits. Beth's eyes grew large as she looked around the room meeting the curious gaze of Hogwarts previous headmasters.

Severus secretly delighted in her wonder, remembering the first time he had been called to the headmaster's office as a young boy. Though the circumstances had been unpleasant, he had been secretly thrilled to see the richly decorated apartment. Even now, he still beheld the room with a sort of novel awe.

"Ahh, yes," Dumbledore steadily met Beth's gaze as he took a seat behind his desk. "These, my dear," his weathered hand pointed to the ornately framed portraits, " are merely the images of wizards who have served as headmaster of Hogwarts. Most of them are hardly exciting conversationalists, but they often dispense useful advice when one is in need of it. Don't let them trouble you. You will find that moving portraits are quite common in the Wizarding world. Now, Severus, perhaps you and your lovely companion would be so kind as to relate, precisely," the elderly wizard paused and shifted his pointed gaze towards Severus, " the curious event which transpired this afternoon." Dumbledore motioned for Severus to join Beth on the sofa.

Severus' fought the jerk of his cheek, which threatened to pull his mouth into a smile. "And, so it begins, the subtle maneuvering of Albus Dumbledore," he mused as he moved toward the sofa to sit beside Beth. She shifted to allow him to settle next to her and cuddled up close to him. He brought his arm around her shoulder. Absently, Severus ran his nimble finger over her bare arm. The gesture was not lost on Dumbledore, who smiled like a child who had just been offered a particularly large piece of chocolate cake.

"Well, Albus, it is as I explained before. Beth approached the gate and seemed to reach for it. However, I quickly realized she must have seen . . . something of the magic with which the wards are composed. She seemed to touch it. I could almost feel her make contact with it, and then she was surrounded by a bright bolt of magical energy. I saw that she was about to lose consciousness, and I stepped forward to catch her. I did not notice anything particularly out of the ordinary as I carried her through the wards and up to the castle," Severus said matter-of-factly.

"My dear, could you tell us what you saw?" the old wizard queried. Two sets of very curious eyes met hers.

"Well," her demure eyes swept around the room watching as various bespectacled and bearded wizards leaned forward in their frames. She fought the urge to giggle. "I certainly do have a captive audience," she thought.

"After we ap-apparated," she began, "I was a little disappointed to find a rather battered looking gate and the ruin of a castle. I was expecting something; well, I don't know what I was expecting. But, I had a strange feeling, like I wanted to leave. Then, I saw something shimmer. I walked forward to touch it. Everything looked hazy. It was as if it was there, but it wasn't. It was like looking through a veil, and I could tell that there was something on the other side. I could feel my body tingling. So, I, well, I tried to _move_ it, and it . . . zapped me. Then, I remember waking up here." Her eyes moved from one Wizard to the other trying to gauge their reactions. Something was going on, but both men seemed intent on hiding their reactions. She was familiar with such behavior from Severus. She had become use to reading the subtle nuances of his mannerisms. She found Dumbledore to be just as guarded. However, rather than hide his reaction behind a stoic expression, he smiled pleasantly and said, "fascinating."

Arching her eyebrow in a rather impressive mimicry of Severus, Beth stared down the evasive Wizard fully aware that there was something the man was not telling her.

Severus knew, quite well, just how it felt to be on the receiving end of Dumbledore's machinations.

Suddenly, the door to Dumbledore's office burst open.

"Albus, do you have any idea when they will . . . OH! Well, they're here," a rather charming Scottish brogue intoned. Beth turned and was met with the site of a rather peculiarly dressed elderly woman. She looked into a pair of rather kind eyes and knew she liked this woman immediately. She wore an interesting tartan robe and a tall green pointy hat. Beth couldn't resist the urge to smile.

"Well, hello Minerva," Severus uttered dryly and pursed his lips. "Will anyone else be barging in Albus?"

"OH!" Minerva yelped and stumbled forward.

Beth watched as a rather plump, grubby face peeked around Minerva's shoulder. Beth could see that the other woman wore a rather shabby, sage green robe and a wide brimmed flat hat that was decorated with dried flowers. Grey hair fluffed out around her friendly face. "Hello, Severus!" Pomona Sprout beamed warmly. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your lovely guest?" Pomona pushed around Minerva nearly pushing the slight woman over. Minerva sent her a decidedly cross look, "Excuse me, Pomona," she groused.

Beth giggled, aware that the two had evidently heard that Severus was bringing a woman to visit Hogwarts. She was sure that she was likely one of the very few females that the two Witches had ever seen Severus take an interest in. Of course, they would be curious.

"Oh my, she's so pretty!" Pomona exclaimed as she looked at Beth and then confusedly back to Severus.

"Isn't she though?" Severus said through clenched teeth. "You can't imagine the potions I had to pour down her throat in order convince her to tolerate my advances."

Beth let go a little bark of a laugh before covering her mouth. She slapped Severus playfully on the arm. "Can you do that, really? Would that work?" she grinned cheekily at him.

He smirked and looked down at her, "Yes, if I wanted a mindless love-slave."

"I don't think you need to ply me with potions for that," half-lidded eyes gazed up at him wickedly.

"Oh, well, I certainly do not wish to be privy to such information," scandalized, Minerva continued pursing her lips, "perhaps we can steer this conversation into safer waters? " Minerva fixed Severus with a sever glare.

Severus arched one haughty eyebrow, "I don't remember _inviting _you in to this conversation Minerva," he said while punctuating each syllable crisply.

Beth scoffed, "Severus, don't be rude. Please introduce me to your friends," her tender voice pleaded.

He was disarmed by her guileless smile and the feel of her hand as it slid up his arm and onto his chest where his heart seemed to do a little somersault. His eyes softened as he looked into hers, "of course, forgive me," he whispered.

"Minerva McGonagall," Minerva nodded primly as Severus spoke her name, "I am pleased to introduce you to Miss. Beth Hargrove. Beth, Minerva is the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, head of Gryffindor house and professor of Transfiguration."

"Pleased to meet you," Minerva's face crinkled in a warm smile.

"It is very nice to meet you," Beth replied. Puzzled, she whispered to Severus, "What's a Gryffindor?"

"Trouble," he whispered back, his eyes never left Minerva, whose eyebrows rose swiftly on her forehead. Pinched face Minerva muttered, "Now, Severus!"

Professor Sprout waddled forward.

"And this," Severus continued, "is Professor Sprout; she is head of Hufflepuff, and she teaches Herbology."

"How wonderful to meet you," Beth's eyes lit with joy, "Herbology? So, you teach students about magical plants? " she queried.

"Yes, dear; I apologize for my rough appearance. I was actually working in the greenhouse when I saw you arrive. Perhaps you would like to see them, the greenhouses? I've got a lovely new batch of snapdragons." Pomona's face seemed full of hopeful anticipation. She felt a kinship to this pretty Muggle, who seemed excited by the prospect of learning more about a subject so dear to her heart.

"Splendid idea!" Dumbledore interjected. "A perfect place to begin your tour."

Severus helped Beth to stand and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. He watched Minerva gawk at the gesture and he raised his eyebrows challengingly as he escorted Beth out of the office and down the moving staircase. Severus enjoyed Beth's wonder; she was charmingly amused by everything, the suits of armor, the architecture, and the moving staircases. They stopped by the Great Hall to allow her to look at the enchanted ceiling, which mimicked the clear blue sky.

"Oh this is absolutely beautiful!" She gasped. "Oh, they are moving; the clouds are moving!" Beth was overcome with the wonder. The hall had tall, ornate windows and long, well polished tables that stretched from one end of the vast room to the other. The ceiling, however, was the most magnificent site she had ever seen.

"In the evening, it looks like the night sky." Severus' mouth was near her ear, and his deep voice sent shivers down her spine.

The little group headed out of the castle, and while passing through the entrance hall Beth noticed four strange hourglasses. "What are those for?" her face wore a puzzled expression.

"Ah," Dumbledore exclaimed, "these are the house point hourglasses. Each student admitted to Hogwarts is sorted into a house. You have already met the heads of three of the houses: Minerva is head of Gryffindor, Pomona is head of Hufflepuff, Severus is head of Slytherin, and Professor Filiius Flitwick, whom you have not met, is head of Ravenclaw. These hourglasses keep track of the points that are awarded and deducted from each house throughout the term. The house with the most points at the end of term wins the House Cup!" he finished grandly.

"What is the significance of sorting students into various houses? What do you base the decision on, and how is it done?"

The group slowly made their way out of the castle.

"Students," Severus began, "are sorted into houses according to their personality and disposition. Gryffindor, for instance, are generally considered brave and foolhardy, " At this point Minerva Scoffed. Severus continued, "Ravenclaw are known for their intelligence, Hufflepuff for their loyalty, and Slytherin for their cunning. Naturally, there is more to the characterization of each house, but that is the gist of it. The sorting hat determines where each student is placed, and the ceremony is held before the start term feast." He gazed down at Beth and then out over the lush grounds. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it. Being at Hogwarts was like coming home, and having Beth here seemed quite natural.

"Oh, well, here we are!" Pomona chirruped. She bustled to the front of the group. "This is greenhouse two, dear, Pomona ushered the group over to a large glass building. Severus waited as Beth followed Pomona into the humid building. The large woman made her way slowly down one narrow isle to where a group of brightly colored flowers bloomed. "Here they are then," she beamed at Beth.

Beth leaned forward and reached out her finger toward a particularly lovely blossom, and the larger woman yelped, "Oh, no, dear, don't" But it was too late. The feisty little flower had nipped her finger.

Beth jerked her finger back quickly and scowled at the naughty plant, "Now, that was very rude; you should be ashamed!" she scolded. The little plant seemed to sag at her remonstrance. "It really isn't polite to bite like that. Now be nice. I only wanted to say hello." The little blossoms perked up a little, and when she reached to stroke them, they preened under her touch.

Pomona's eyes grew wide. "Well that's a first," she said as she rubbed her dirt covered fingers over her skirt. Startled she glanced over at Dumbledore and noticed that the group of wizards was staring peculiarly at Beth.

"A Muggle, you say, Severus?" Dumbledore whispered.

"Yes, if she is at all magical, she is unaware of it sir." His voice barely carried, but Minerva had heard them.

"Albus, there is no way the child could have interacted in such a way with _those_ plants were she a Muggle," she shifted her tartan robe in the stifling heat and shot a questioning look at Severus, who shrugged, "I've no idea." He looked just as bewildered as Dumbledore.

"Oh! Well, did you want to say hello as well?" Beth looked down to find a slim vine tapping on her ankle. She began to walk over to the large plant from which the long vine issued. "Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you," she cooed. The plant seemed to writhe pleasantly at the sound of her voice. "Well, aren't you sweet," she leaned forward as several small tentacles brushed her face gently.

"Oh, Oh no!" Pomona bellowed, "My dear, you will want to back away from that one slowly." Her voice shook.

The vine jerked back at the sound of the plump witch's tone.

"Now then," Beth soothed the fussy plant, "all is well. He is just saying hello."

"Beth," Severus' voice was low and steady, "that plant is called a Venomous Tentacula; it is quite poisonous," his wand was aimed at the deadly plant. "Please walk slowly away, towards me." He held her gaze steadily.

The young woman frowned and patted the plant lightly, "there, now, you be a dear and take a nap." The plant shuddered and fell limp; it's weaving tendrils dropped motionless at her command." Beth turned to look at four very shocked wizards. She walked over carefully and grabbed Severus' hand. His eyes bore into hers.

"Fascinating," Dumbledore mumbled as he stroked his wooly beard. "My dear, have you ever made anything, strange, happen when you were upset? Can you remember any odd occurrences when you were a child?" his soft, gravelly voice seemed rather loud in the humid, stillness of the greenhouse.

"No, never. I've never seen plants move like that either. I'm not quite sure what has you so . . . confused. Aren't they usually like that? I mean; I didn't _make_ them move." Her curious gaze flitted from one Wizard to another seeking some sort of answer.

"Ah, no, my dear. You did not make them move; It is quite natural for them to behave aggressively, particularly towards a Muggle. What is curious, is the fact that they seemed to _listen_ to you. Even most Wizards are unable to control plants without the use of certain spells, wandless or otherwise. But you did not cast a spell, even unknowingly. I would have . . . felt . . you use of magic. So, it is quite remarkable that these plants should heed your commands." He reached forward, grasped her hand, and patted it, "but, never mind, we shall puzzle it all out. Now, perhaps you would like a spot of tea? If I am not mistaken, it is time for lunch. The old wizard led the way back to the castle.

After enjoying a delicious meal in the great hall, Severus decided to show Beth the dungeons. They bid the other professors good afternoon and headed down towards his potions lab.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Beth felt a chill as they descended into the dark staircase that led to the dungeon. Severus quietly cast a warming charm around her. "Oh, that's nice. What did you do?" she asked, Her startled eyes met his.

"Are you so sure that I did something?" he looked at her incredulously.

"Yes,I felt it. I felt the distinct tingle of… your magic." Her head tilted charmingly as she looked up at him.

"And how do you know it was my magic?," he challenged.

Beth's brow puckered, "It felt the same. It was not unlike the wards, but it is different. I remember the tingle I felt when we apparated; only, now I am sure that it is yours. It feels different. She reached out around her and waved her hand in midair. Yes," she nodded certainly, "it's your magic," earnest eyes met his.

"This was puzzling," he mused to himself. He knew few wizards who could identify the source of another's magic so readily. Even he would have had trouble in the presence of McGonagall and Dumbledore discerning which had cast a spell, and here she was, a Muggle, or maybe she wasn't, and she was declaring with certainty that she could distinguish his magic from others she had encountered. "Do you feel anything else?" he asked.

"Oh yes, it's everywhere. Sometimes it feels like passing through waves."

"Interesting." Well, he was absolutely certain that Dumbledore had a few ideas about what was going on. He would have to pin him down and pull it out of him later. That would likely prove to be an infuriating task.

They had arrived at his classroom, and he opened the heavy door to allow her a glimpse of the rather gloomy looking room. With a flick of his wand the torches lit and brightened the space with a warm, golden glow.

"This is the potions classroom," he intoned. "There isn't much to see after term; would you like to see my private quarters?"

Beth shivered at his intimate tone. She felt the pressure of his large hand at the small of her back ushering her forward. His gestured with his free hand, and she felt the warm tingles of his magic fan out and ignite the torches down the corridor. Every time he used his magic she felt tiny bolts of energy tease sensitive nerve endings particularly on the back of her neck, the tips of her fingers, and her . . .nipples. It was intensely distracting.

They arrived at a large dark door; he waved his hand deactivating the wards and muttered "Bezoar." The door opened leading into a sparsely decorated room with a bulky desk made of a rich, dark wood. There was a long work table with a large pot in the center of it. The walls were covered with shelves. Some contained books, but others seemed to hold an odd assortment of specimens, many of which seemed to be curing in liquid. Severus lit the fireplace and torches, and gestured for her to enter the room. Beth walked towards the shelves examining their contents carefully. Some of the items looked rather horrid, but she was not squeamish. She imagined that it had taken a great deal of time and energy to collect these items. She could definitely appreciate the work that had gone into gathering and organizing the assortment. There was a cupboard in the corner that seemed to be locked; this must house the more dangerous items she surmised.

Severus watched her careful inspection. She ran her fingers gingerly over various glass jars and decanters. When she reached the built in shelves that housed his most prized tomes, she ran her hand lovingly over the spines. He wondered, since she had some sensitivity to magic if she might be able to brew potions herself. And, if she had access to her own magic, could she possibly be taught to wield it? What was the nature of her powers? Was she just an intuitive who could speak to and command magical plants? And, if she could wield that power over plants, could she communicate with magical animals? Perhaps a trip to Ollivanders was in order. Surely, if she was chosen by a wand that would indicate that she had some semblance of magical ability. He was itching to see if she could perform a simple spell.

His heart thrummed in his chest; perhaps she could stay at Hogwarts during the term, and he could teach her? Dumbledore would certainly want her to be able to control her magic, and the old man would not be able to resist the opportunity to study her and discover the nature of her power. Without doubt, it was unusual. He had never heard of a witch that could command plants as she had, particularly one that had never exhibited any magical abilities.

Perhaps after what had occurred at the gates this morning, she was more in touch with her abilities. He wondered if she would be able to perform magic with his wand.

Beth looked up at Severus and noticed his intense gaze. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, but I would like you to try something for me." He drew his wand and held it out to her on his outstretched hand.

She hesitated and walked slowly towards him.

"Take my wand," he whispered.

Beth grasped the wand carefully in her right hand and looked up at him expectantly.

"Now, I'm going to show you the proper gesture. Let me guide your hand," He moved behind her; she could feel his breath tickle her ear. "Like this," with a swish he guided her hand several times in a precise motion. "Do you have it?"

Beth copied the motion and nodded.

"Now," his deep voice rumbled in her ear, "say, LUMOS, as you make the gesture."

"Lumos!" Confidently she waved the wand. Nothing happened.

"Hmm. Well, it is not unusual for a wizard to be unable to perform magic with the wand of another. Try it again."

"Lumos!" she swished her wrist. Again, nothing happened. Beth smiled over her shoulder at him, "I don't think your wand likes me," she giggled.

"Why do you say that?" He leaned his head forward over her shoulder to gauge her expression.

"I can feel it . . buzzing like an angry bee." His lips were so close; she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She leaned forward and nuzzled her nose with his before brushing her lips against his softly. She turned towards him and slipped her hand up his chest. Severus slid his hand around her waist and drew her to him. He pulled her flush against him and she gasped allowing him the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He took his wand from her and slipped it deftly up his sleeve, allowing her to slip her fingers around his neck and into his hair. Severus broke away breathing heavily. He summoned the chair behind his desk, sat down, and pulled her into his lap.

Beth leaned forward renewing the fervent ministrations of her lips, and she felt his hand slip slowly up her thigh. His fingers slipped around to her bottom and kneaded her soft flesh; she moaned into his mouth.

A short cough interrupted their ardent activities.

"Oh," Beth squeaked. She was about to slide off of Severus' lap, but he held her decidedly in place. She blushed.

Severus' ire was raised when he heard Dumbledore's unwanted intrusion. "Damn," he muttered. He had forgotten to close the door and put up his wards. He should have known the nosey, old wizard would interrupt. Well, he wasn't about to bow to propriety. These were his private rooms, and term was not in session. If Dumbledore was outrageous enough to enter his chambers, he was surely well aware of exactly what he was walking into. That, and the fact that he had a raging hard on; he was not about to stand in front of the elderly man and attempt to hide his excitement like some naughty schoolboy. So, he kept Beth firmly in place on his lap. He did, however, move his hand surreptitiously from under her skirt.

"I'm sorry to disturb you two, but I thought Beth might like to have her luggage," a small knowing smile lit his face. "I also had a lovely bottle of elf made wine that I thought you might enjoy."

"Thank you," Severus said, but made no effort to move and retrieve either the bag or the wine.

Dumbledore nodded, and his smile grew larger. Severus could see his shoulders shaking in a silent laugh. He rolled his dark eyes sure that Dumbledore had guessed his . . . predicament. Nothing got past the meddlesome wizard. Dumbledore proceeded into the room and sat the bag and bottle of wine on Severus' desk.

"You know, Miss Hargrove might enjoy a trip to Diagon Alley tomorrow, Severus. I have sent a note to Ollivander apprising him of the interesting circumstance in which we find ourselves; I let him know that it was possible that you might be stopping by with a charming lady friend. I am sure that he will be most helpful. Well, I will see you two at dinner. You will be joining us for dinner won't you?" Merry blue eyes peered at them over the gleaming rims of his spectacles.

"Of course," Severus shot the elderly wizard an exasperated look, "We wouldn't _dream _of missing it." Dumbledore turned with a flurry of brightly colored robes.

"Well, perhaps you would like me to finish your tour? Severus took her hand. Before exiting the dungeons, he made sure to reset his wards , and they made their way to the empty halls of Hogwarts. Beth enjoyed traversing the moving staircases; she thought them quite diverting. The moving portraits were quite entertained, as she seemed to feel the need to greet each individual that made eye contact. Severus tried to quell his frustration, but when the mistral Thomas began to compose a rather horrid, off-key ballad in her honor, he had enough. His fingers slid under her elbow and he ushered her to the Astronomy tower, where they could get some peace.

A soft wind whipped Beth's brown hair off her shoulders. Severus watched the awed expression with which she took in the vast countryside and the well manicured grounds of Hogwarts. "It truly is lovely," her rich, golden eyes gleamed up at him. He moved close and slid his hand around her waist. "You must love teaching here," her face turned to taken in the landscape once more.

"Yes. Hogwarts has always been like home for me" his voice took on a nostalgic tone.

"What about your parents?" she said absently. "Didn't you enjoy being at home for the holidays and at the end of term?" Her brow furrowed as her eyes met his quizzically. She felt him tense beside her.

"My childhood," he began haltingly, for he was rather uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, "was dreadful. My father was a Muggle, and he was a drunken, abusive bastard." He gritted his teeth and continued, full aware that this was a necessary discussion if they were to continue their intimacy. He knew she would be curious, and he was aware that a woman who had experienced an upbringing by warm, caring parents would be unable to fully understand what he had endured. "Neither wanted nor loved, I was thrilled when I got my letter to Hogwarts. I hoped that everything would change if I could perform magic and imagined my mother would be proud of me and love me. I thought I could save her from my father. I should have known she would never leave him. I never understood why she endured the abuse. She was a powerful witch, " he briefly looked down into Beth's intense gaze before looking out at the smoke trailing out of Hagrid's chimney.

"I'm sorry, Severus." Her slim arm snaked around his waist as she turned to lean her head against the broad expanse of his chest. She looked up at his pensive face. Something broke within Severus; he felt the floodgates open and a rush of words burst forth.

"The happiest moments of my childhood were here; however, I did not find complete acceptance at Hogwarts. Lily, whom I have mentioned before, made my early years tolerable. I've told you what happened between Lily and me. On top of that, there was a troop of young Gryffindors who delighted in making my school years hell. I had made _friends_ in my own house, Slytherin, but I never really belonged. I am not a pure blood wizard, and this is significant for Slytherin house. They prize pure blood wizards from well known families. So, I was a poor, half-blood; I was at a great disadvantage. However, my knowledge of dark magic was my one way to save face. After losing Lily I fell in deeper with the group of dark wizards. You know how this story ends. But, while my time at Hogwarts was troubled; it was far better than the years I spent with my parents. I found solace here; I lost myself in my studies, spent many hours brewing potions, and frittered away countless evenings researching in the library. After my . . . fall . . . Dumbledore welcomed me back to Hogwarts. I cannot help but feel that this place has been my salvation." As the words left his lips and the deep, silent stillness of the evening surrounded them, Severus felt that a weight had been lifted. He felt her warmth invade him. Beth seemed to surround him with it. He had always assumed that to reveal himself would prove awkward and the compassion of another human would feel cloying and intrusive. This was not the case.

Their eyes were locked in a gentle dual. His guard was down, and he felt her look into him. Vulnerable, he opened to her perusal. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He had felt the prying intrusion of a Legilimens; both Dumbledore and Voldemort had insinuated themselves into his mind. This was an emotional inquest, without images or sound. It was a raw magic, and he wondered if it could be Beth's rudimentary attempt at legilimancy. "No," he thought. It teased a different part of him, an emotional core. And as the emotions played out he realized that calm had settled over him, and a subtle peace had invaded his mind. He felt almost drowsy with it as if Beth were a sedative to calm his frayed nerves.

He leaned into her until the soft knell of a clock tolled the hour. Everyone would be meeting in the Great Hall anxiously awaiting their arrival. Severus sighed, was it too much to ask for a reprieve? He knew they should join the group for dinner, but a selfish part of him wanted to sequester her away with him in the dark recesses of his dungeon, harbor her there in his chamber like a prisoner and curl up next to her warm body. The images that filled his mind were of succor and tenderness; he needed to feel her in his arms.

Letting out another rumbling sigh his eyes met hers, "I'm afraid our audience awaits."

Gentle little hands cupped his face and pulled him into a tender, searching kiss. Fortified, he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and guided her down to the Great Hall.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Beth gasped as they entered the Great Hall. Dinner had been laid out on the long table on the dais. Chairs were placed on both sides of the table so that the staff could have a more intimate dinner. Gazing at the ceiling, Beth was overcome with awe. Gem-like stars glimmered in the evening sky, and pale misty clouds trembled over the face of the full moon. As they approached the table, Beth noticed several faces she had not seen before.

"Ah, Severus, Beth, I hope you enjoyed your afternoon," Dumbledore rose to greet them as they approached the table. Severus pulled out a chair for Beth across from the elderly wizard.

Beth looked at the large man sitting across from Minerva. He was enormous, and he had a thick beard and a wild mane of hair around his head. He smiled at her and his the corners of his eyes crinkled jovially. "This, my dear, is Rubeus Hagrid, professor of the Care of Magical Creatures."

"Pleased 'ta meet ya" the large man grinned at her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Hagrid."

Hagrid was charmed by the sweet young woman. He was not sure what such a lovely, sweet girl was doing with the likes of Snape. He knew the wizard was a hero, and he was certainly brave. But, he was known to be a rather unpleasant fellow. The half-giant wondered how such a gloomy fellow had managed to snag such a charming lass.

Beth smiled animatedly at Hagrid, "So, do you teach the children how to ride horses? I've always wanted to ride a horse. Are there magical horses?"

The room was silent for a moment. Minerva looked slyly at Severus who met her gaze pointedly with a narrow eyed gaze. The witch smirked.

"Uah, well," Hagrid muttered, "You could say that, magical horses, but, well, no, not really. I do have a a lovely hippogriff that goes by the name o' Witherwings."

"What's a hippogriff?" her nose scrunched as she gazed at the large man curiously.

"Oh well, they are magnificent creatures, very proud are hippogriffs. They look sort of like a mix between an eagle and a horse." He scratched his head and turned to take a drink of his pumpkin juice.

Beth gaped at him, "Oh, you're kidding, aren't you?" she giggled.

"Uah," Hagrid hesitated, "No. I'd be more than happy to introduce you tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary Hagrid, but thank you" Severus had no desire to spend the week tending to Beth in the hospital ward. "Perhaps another time."

"But, Severus, if there is such a thing, I want to see it!" her wide eyes pleaded beseechingly.

"Well, perhaps we could stop by tomorrow morning before we set out. But . . . it might be best, Hagrid, if we view him from a distance." Beth seemed a little disappointed, but he would rather deal with her displeasure than a nasty head wound or a missing limb.

A squeaky voice, "Hem, hem," issued from the end of the table, and Beth's attention was brought to bear on a small man with a head full of fuzzy white hair.

"Oh, forgive me, " Dumbledore collected himself, "Beth, this is professor Filius Flitwick, he is our Charms Master."

"Delighted to meet you, my dear." Flitwick piped

"Lovely to meet you as well, professor"

"Please, call me Filius, my dear."

"Well, now that we are all friends, let's eat!" with a clap of his hands Dumbledore made their dinner appear.

Beth giggled and turned to Severus, "can you teach me how to do that?" her eyes gleamed with excitement. Severus chuckled.

"Now, Beth, tell me a little about your family, my dear. Where do your ancestors hale from?" Dumbledore was tucking into his dinner with relish and seemed to listen to her distractedly.

Severus eyed him suspiciously and listened to Beth's reply intently.

"Well, on my mother's side the Whites haled from Ireland and the Delequoirs from France. My father's mother was English, her surname was Miller, but his father was a mix of English and Native American." As she finished she took a bite of chicken. She nearly moaned when she tasted the creamy sauce it was drenched in. She _had_ to get this recipe.

"Native American, you say?" the old wizard closed his eyes as he savored a bite of mashed potatoes. "mmm, delightful!" he muttered.

"Yes, evidently they had dealings with the Spanish. Eventually, they were Christaininzed and placed in the Missions. My father tells me that they were a war-like people. And the Spanish utilized them to forge into Alabama, where they settled. Eventually, some moved further in to Mississippi and Louisiana and worked with the French. They were very adept at learning languages and acted as translators for the foreigners and other Native American tribes." Beth wondered at his line of questioning but supposed that most Englishmen must be interested in Native Americans.

"War-like? Interesting. Was he able to determine if they were or once were a seafaring people?" his gaze never left his plate.

Severus critically watched the older man's mannerisms. "Oh, yes," he surmised, "he knew something."

"No," Beth hesitated. "He never mentioned anything of the sort, but I imagine that sort of information would be mixed in amongst their mythology. Not much was written down as they were indoctrinated into the Catholic Mission System. I imagine they were discouraged from keeping such records or promoting their own mythology. Much history was likely lost. In fact, my father learned very little about his heritage as a young boy. His own grandfather had deserted his grandmother when his father was quite young. So, his father had little knowledge to pass along. My father had a great aunt who would tell him some stories. He liked to tell me that she was always barefoot, smoked a pipe, and had thick hair that she wore in a braid down her back. "Beth smiled.

"And do you favor your father?" he asked.

"I have two older brothers who were born with my mother's blue eyes and blond hair. My father told her that if their next child, me, did not look like him he was going to start asking questions," she giggled. "He is rather dark with warm brown eyes. Thankfully, I was born with dark hair and brown eyes. I look a great deal like him, though I share features with my mother as well. I am not as swarthy as he is. We are alike in temperament as well and we share a common affinity for nature." She took a sip of pumpkin juice and made a face. She wasn't sure that she would ever come to care for the drink. Using a napkin she patted her lips lightly and met Dumbledore's gaze.

"Your father," he asked, "He was _quite_ dark, his complexion?" a spoon full of custard was hovering between his plate and his lips.

"Yes , much like his father. You've seen pictures of Native Americans?" Beth was puzzled that he would ask her to repeat herself. She looked from Severus to Dumbledore. The table had gotten quiet. She could tell that while the other professors were talking amongst themselves, they were also carefully listening to the exchange.

"and he had an affinity with nature. Does he like to be out on the water as well?" he savored a bite of custard.

"Yes," Beth was no longer hungry, "in the summer he is _always_ fishing in the lake. Why?"

"Ah, well you must have gotten your love of plants from him, naturally." He began eating with greater gusto.

"When I was a child, we would often spend hours walking through the woods in the summer, identifying indigenous plants and trees," she finished lamely. She was unsure as to the nature of the subtext of the conversation she had just held with Dumbledore, but it was clear that he had garnered information to which she was quite oblivious. She glanced at Severus, who was intently staring at Dumbledore.

They ate the rest of their meal and silence, and when they were done, Severus guided Beth back down to his private chamber.

"What on earth was that about, Severus?"

"I'm not sure. Dumbledore vary rarely explains himself, even to me. We can assume that he has some theory concerning the nature of your heritage, your ability. However, he will likely reveal it in his own time." Severus was not contented with this, and he had decided to floo to Dumbledore's office as soon as Beth was asleep.

Severus smiled at her, drew close, and caught her in his arms. "No matter, we will figure it out. Now, would you like to relax in a nice warm bath?" His mouth was moving over her ear, and his warm breath tickled her.

"Mmm," she nuzzled his neck.

Severus led her to the bathroom where he began to draw the water in the large deep tub. "Severus," she gasped, "this is magnificent." The room was tiled in a dark green tile with silver accents. The lights glittered off of the vitreous enamel. Severus stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Beth's heart beat wildly. He began placing little kisses along her neck. She tilted her head and her ran his hands through the soft, silky curls. His teeth found her delicate earlobe and she groaned.

"We've had a long day," his sonorous voice reverberated through her, "why don't you enjoy your bath. I've got a few things I need to take care of."

Beth groaned, disappointed. She undressed quickly and stepped into the warm bubble bath. "Mmmm, this is sinful," she giggled.

Severus had hovered at the door and watched her lovely form as she slid beneath the water, he smiled when he heard her delightful response to the bath. Closing the door, he walked to his shelf looking for a particular volume. "It's here, somewhere," he murmured. "Ah, here it is," he pulled a richly covered leather volume from the shelf.

"Magical Beings and Their Abilities," he quickly skimmed the chapters until he came to "Tuatha de Danann. The Sidhe or Fairy-Folk ruled Ireland around 1800 BC. Known as gods of the earth, they wield a powerful natural magic. Famous for their beauty, they often lured mortals into their kingdom. The Sidhe do not inhabit our own world, but live in a dimension parallel to ours. They exist in a nearly immortal state. They are a beautiful, fair people and can be described as having light almost translucent skin. Those who have not been tainted by mortal blood generally have white hair and blue or violet eyes.

Mortals know little about the true extent of their magic, as their interaction with the ancient race dealt mainly with early agricultural needs. The Tuatha De aided in the ripening of crops as well as the needs of animal husbandry. The Fairy-folk are also known for their adverse reaction to Iron, though they share this with many of the early magical races." Though some facets rang true, Severus had the feeling that it wasn't fairy blood they were dealing with. He could certainly test the iron hypothesis. Frustrated, he needed to talk to Dumbledore. It was possible that she was a descendent of the fey through her mother's Irish lineage. But, Dumbledore had cued on something dealing with her father. Whatever it was, it was something with which he was completely unfamiliar.

He quickly scribbled a note and left it on her bag. He flooed into Dumbledore's office just as the evasive wizard entered the room. "Ah! Severus, my boy! You should be entertaining your guest," he gave the young man a mischievous grin.

"You've hit on something. Tell me." Severus glared at Dumbledore.

"Merely a possibility," he stroked his beard as he studied the younger man. Making his way over to his desk, Dumbledore waved his hand and a small, worn book appeared on his desk.

"I have heard of Native American shamans, and initially, when your Beth mentioned that her father was descended from Native Americans , I assumed that it was a magic in this vein. However, they are not known for their ability to control nature in the manner that we witnessed today. Theirs is a magic much like our own; though, many tribes focused on healing and deviation. Some even have a rudimentary practice of potions." He shifted slightly in his chair and hovered his weathered hand over the small book. His bright, blue eyes gazed at the book as his fingers trailed across the tattered cover.

"What we are dealing with is a much older magic." A small smile lit his weathered features.

"Spit it out." The young wizard pressed.

"You have heard of the Fomorians?"

"Yes, they were believed to be an ancient race that ruled Ireland before the Tuatha De. They were often thought to be godlike, fearsome creatures." Severus took the chair across from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded and met Severus' eyes. "Yes, well, most know very little other than the fact that they were defeated by the Tuatha de." He paused, " Long ago, I met a young Asian woman with powers similar to Beth's. What I discovered were the Fomoians. They were believed to be a seafaring people who inhabited Asia, some say North Africa. It is my belief that they settled in North Africa before they came to Ireland." He looked pointedly at Severus, " It is also my belief that they settled in North America." Dumbledore slid the book across his desk. "This is all that is known about the Fomorians. Their magic is similar in nature to that of the Tuatha De; however, even our knowledge of the Fairy Folk is extremely limited. As I understand it, they have a different connection to magic than we do. The young woman I knew was a very powerful witch, but there were some spells, simple magics, that she was never quite able to master, Transfiguration, for example." The old wizard fixed him with a keen look. "Now, I believe you have a guest to see to."

Severus flooed back to his quarters before Beth exited the bathroom in a thin white nightgown. He tossed the note he had left her into the cheery fire, and watched as she ran across the cold floor and tucked herself under the covers, shivering. Smirking, he walked to his wardrobe to pull out a pair of gray,soft cotton pants and a black tee shirt. He made his way to the bathroom.

"Hurry, it's cold!" he she chattered from under the covers. He cast a warming charm over her as he entered the bathroom.

"Thank you!" she giggled.

He showered quickly and joined her under the warm covers. She snuggled close, snaking her arm around his broad chest and hitching her leg over his. He gasped as he felt her warm core press against him. He looked down at her with a heat- filled gaze, but he quickly realized that she was tired from the adventures of the day. He brushed the curls away from her face and pulled her close. His thoughts drifted to her little strip tease earlier that day. Well, he had waited this long; he certainly wait a little longer. She was asleep and breathing deeply; his nimble fingers brushed across her jaw. He kissed her forehead and extinguished the lights in the room. The fire dusted the room with a lovely orange glow. Severus allowed his mind to relax, and willed his body to cool its ardor.

Source for:

Fomorians: faerie/?p=222

Tuatha De Danann:


	15. Chapter 15

JKR owns the HP universe. Beth is mine. Thank you to my lovely beta reader Ella, and thank you to all of my readers!

Chapter 15

Beth woke as Severus was sliding from the bed. She reached out and grabbed his waist and felt the firm muscles of his abdomen contract. "Mmm, don't go," she mewled.

Severus gasped as her warm hand slid over his stomach only inches above his painfully, hard shaft. He had spent the better part of the morning awake feeling her writhe against him. Her breasts had lain against his side, and she had kept her leg hooked up over his. Her nightgown had pulled up and he had felt her silky panties, and her moist heat sliding against his leg. He wanted, very much, to slip back into bed and ravish her, but he was sure that if they did not arrive promptly for breakfast, Dumbledore would send out a search party. Severus snorted, rather, the old man would likely show up in his chambers smiling gaily.

Severus leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Time for breakfast, love."

Beth groaned and rolled out of bed.

Severus heard her bare feet hit the floor, and he watched as she passed in front of the now blazing fire. He kept it lit year round because of the cool damp air in the dungeon. He was greeted by her lovely silhouette. Beth bent to grab her bag, and Severus admired the view as he pulled off his pajamas. He attempted to quell his desire, but he now earnestly pitched a tent in his boxers. He snorted. Her back straightened and she turned to look in his direction. Spotting his predicament, she gingerly made her way over to him.

Leaning close, she ran her nails up his bare chest. He hissed at the pleasurable sensation, bent down, and captured her lips in his. Pulling her against him, he felt her body grind against his hard length.

"Beth," he heaved, "we are expected."

"Mmm," her fingers trailed up his neck and into his hair. She broke their kiss and latched onto his nipple lightly grazing him with her teeth.

"Ungh," he moaned.

"You were saying?" she teased. Her lips went to work on his other nipple, and pulled on his neck and recaptured his lips in a searing kiss. Their tongues dueled, and he felt her little fingers dance their way down his stomach and playfully skirt the waist band of his boxers. He groaned and grabbed her hips pulling her soft body against his. She arched into him; her hard nipples visible through the white cotton fabric. He bent down to capture first one and then the other. Beth's hips continued to grind against him as she mewled and moaned. Her little noises were driving him crazy.

Her fingers slid into his silky boxers and grabbed his long, thick member. "Mmmm," he moaned as she began to slide her nimble fingers down his shaft cupping his balls and running her nails over them lightly. Severus felt the air expel from his chest. He swiftly picked her up and deposited her on the bed. He pulled off his boxers and watched as she shimmied out of her panties and pulled her nightgown over her head. She writhed on his bed blissfully nude. "To hell with breakfast," he muttered. Severus climbed onto the bed and between her legs. He rubbed his hard length against her crisp curls and she parted her tanned thighs. He felt her wetness against him as he nestled next to her, grinding. She pulled him down on top of her and their lips crashed into each other like two unrivaled forces of nature.

Severus stroked her taut nipples and kneaded her buttocks as she hitched one leg up around his waist. They were burning both ends of the fuse, each ready to teeter over the edge. Severus looked into her eyes as he slowly guided his shaft against her wet opening ready to plunge into her.

"Please," she whimpered.

Something crashed in his office.

"Fuck," he whispered hoarsely.

"What was that?" she breathed against his neck. Severus wanted to disregard the noise and slide inside of her. He was thrumming with need. He groaned.

Standing he pulled on his boxers and his tee shirt. He grabbed his robe from the wardrobe before heading into his dark office. He flicked his wand and the room was bathed in a golden glow. There, in the middle of the floor, stood a house elf grinning sheepishly up at him.

Severus scowled darkly.

"Winkie is sorry, Professor, she did not mean to run into your desk. Winkie could not see because it was so dark.

The frustrated wizard ran his hands through his hair and huffed, "WHY are you here Winkie?" he pierced the small elf with a fearsome glare.

"The headmaster sent Winkie to see if the Professor would be joining everyone for breakfast, sir." The little elf fretted her fingers timidly.

Disgustedly, Severus scoffed, "Yes, tell him we will be there momentarily." He walked into the room to find Beth propped up on a pillow looking at him bewitchingly. He glided over to her and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss, "we'll have to continue this," he ran his hand over the smooth expanse of her round hip, "later. The headmaster has requested our presence at breakfast."

She dropped her face into the pillow and moaned.

They dressed and headed up to breakfast. Beth enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the castle. She had only been here for a day, but Hogwarts felt like home already. Severus mused over the events of the previous day as they headed towards the great hall. Uncharacteristically, he was very excited. He loved Beth regardless of her magical ability, but he was secretly pleased that she held some facet of magic within her blood. What were the odds of her meeting a wizard and discovering her talent? He knew the first stop of the day would be to Ollivanders. He was almost antsy with anticipation.

They were greeted warmly at breakfast, and Dumbledore renewed his barrage of questions. Beth tolerated his intrusiveness. They finished eating quickly, and Severus bid everyone a good day. "Well, you two have a lovely day," Dumbledore chuckled at the young wizards abruptness. Beth smiled, and they made a hasty exit.

They made their way over to Hagrid's hut. The large man waved at them as they approached. He had Witherwings tied up in his wild, overgrown garden, and he was feeding him some sort of dead animal. The hippogriff pranced around proudly.

Beth was in awe over the magnificent beast. Severus had to grab her arm to keep her from getting closer to the tethered animal. "He is absolutely gorgeous," she really wanted to approach the beautiful creature and try to pet it, but she knew that Severus was unlikely to allow her.

Never one to be overly fond of Hagrid, Severus was secretly pleased at the large man's friendly disposition towards Beth. He gently tugged at Beth's arm signaling that he was ready to go. Beth smiled over at Hagrid and waved. His large hand waved in the air as he smiled cheerily at the couple. He shook his head as he watched Professor Snape smile tenderly down at the small woman. It surprised him that this woman had wrought such a change in the rather standoffish man. But, perhaps, he thought, that is what happens when a man falls in love.

Severus pulled her close as they walked towards the gate. Beth noticed that he seemed particularly anxious, " is everything ok?" She noticed that his posture seemed very stiff and his mouth was pulled into a thin line.

"Dumbledore; it is just typical." He sniffed.

"There is something you're not telling me." She stopped grabbing his arm.

Severus spun to look at her, and she admired the way his robes fanned out about him. She really loved this garb. He looked quite distinguished and slightly intimidating. He was a tall man, but dressed from head to toe in black wizard robes he oozed power and authority. He glared down at her, and even though she knew that his anger was directed at Dumbledore, she felt more than a little vulnerable. She inhaled sharply; it was like being the helpless virgin at Dracula's mercy. Helpless virgin, she giggled, more like eager participant.

"Last night, I flooed into Dumbledore's office," he began.

"Flooed?"

Severus exhaled slowly. He forgot that there was so much to explain to her, and he began patiently, "The floo network links fireplaces together so that one can travel from one to the other with the aid of a special powder. You throw the powder into the fire, step in, and speak your destination." He smirked at her expression of wonder.

"Really? That is amazing! Could I try it when we get back this evening?"

Severus' was no longer able to maintain his annoyance with Dumbledore; he smiled indulgently down at her, "Of course; now let me finish," he chided.

"I spoke with Dumbledore last night about you. And he had an interesting theory."

"I thought he was keeping something to himself. Why didn't he say anything to ME about this?" she huffed.

"That, my dear, is quite typical of Dumbledore. And, it is likely, that if I had not pushed him, he would have continued to keep the knowledge to himself for some time. It is more than a little irritating dealing with the man," he growled.

"I should say." Beth looked towards the castle, "Well, then, what does he think?" she looked up at him searchingly.

"It seems that he believes your abilities stem from a connection to an ancient race known as the Fomorians. Are you familiar with the term?" His brow puckered. He hoped that perhaps she might be aware of this connection on some level so that she could dispel some of his own doubts.

"WHAT?" she exclaimed. "That's utterly ridiculous." She breathed deeply and began, "I know a little about them from a class I took on Irish Folklore as an undergraduate. I know they were a mythical race that was said to have ruled Ireland after pushing out the Fir Bolg. Then the Tuatha De Danna took over. But those are just fairy tales. Fairies aren't real are they?" She looked at Severus who was staring at her strangely.

He was wondering how to proceed. He pursed his lips.

"They _are_ real aren't they? So, are they the little creatures that fly about on wings or are they little elves, or are they more like Tolkien's elves, a tall magical race?" She had an almost panicked look on her face. Closing her eyes, Beth wondered just how many more surprises there would be.

Severus stroked her cheek. "Beth," she looked at him earnestly.

"The question you have just asked is a complicated one. There are little flying creatures known as fairies or pixie's, there are short little men known as elves, and there are tall magical beings who are of the Fairy Folk or to use the old name Tuatha De. However, we know little about the Fairy Folk and according to Dumbledore, even less about the Fomorians. Dumbledore has had some experience with an Asian witch with powers similar to your own. He gave me a book last night, but I wanted to speak to you about this before we read it, together." He hoped that she was not upset that he had not shared this information with her last night, but it had been a rather abrupt discovery. He needed time to adjust, and truth be told, he still thought he might need a little more time to think about the situation.

Her lips pulled down in a slight frown.

"I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner."

Her eyes soften, "Oh, I'm not mad at you Severus, but for the life of me, I can't understand why Dumbledore is being so secretive about this." She let out an exasperated breath.

"Discretion, is perhaps wise at this point. There are those who could use the information to their advantage." Somberly, he met her gaze. "Unless you are speaking to either Dumbledore or myself about this matter, within the walls of Hogwarts, it is best that we keep quiet about the matter."

"Am I in some sort of danger?" Her eyes grew large, fearful.

"I don't know, but typically, if Dumbledore is closemouthed about something, there is generally more to the matter than is initially evident. Now, come, there is much I would like to show you. We need not concern ourselves with the matter right now. We will discuss it tonight." He pulled her close and gazed down at her; his heart constricted as he felt her hand tightly grasp his own. A warm summer wind whisked around them unfurling his robes and ruffling the hem of her dress. Severus felt cheered by the scene before them and proud to have such a beautiful woman on his arm; he was determined to enjoy the day - Dumbledore and Fomorians be damned.

The couple apparated just outside of the Leaky Cauldron, and Severus escorted Beth to the entrance of Diagon Alley. He enjoyed the look of wonder on her face as the street and its marvelous shops came into view. While he loved her Muggle clothes, he thought that perhaps he would take her to Madam Malkin's. It would make her entrance into Wizarding circles less uncomfortable for her. They stopped just outside of the clothier's, and she squealed in delight when she noticed the mannequin in the store front.

"Madam Malkin's Robes for All occasions? Oh, Severus, what fun! Are you sure that you want to go into a clothing store with a woman? You must be the bravest man I've ever met," she grinned up at him.

He chuckled warmly, "only if you let me help you pick something out." His eyes met hers lasciviously. Though, he couldn't imagine that the modest robes worn by most witches would be nearly as charming as the lovely little dresses that bared so much of her beautiful legs.

"As long as you don't make me buy everything in black" she ran her finger over his darkly clad chest.

"What's wrong with black," he countered affectionately.

She hooked her arm in his and drug him, rather willingly, into the store. The sales associate was more than willing to indulge her enthusiastic client. In spite of herself, Beth found that she did like the black, clingy set of robes that Severus picked out for her. They were quite alluring, and she enjoyed the admiring glint in his eye when she modeled them for him. She also chose a light sage green robe that reminded her of a dress from one of her favorite movies, Ever After. The sleeves laced up and the cream colored chemise worn under the robe peeked out at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. It laced up the side and cinching in her waist and hugged her curves. The front of the robe scooped down quite low allowing the chemise to show and hoisting up her already lovely bust. Severus was quite adamant about her purchasing the lovely garment. He had never seen a witch wear such a costume; he was sure it must be some new trend and found it all together alluring. He even requested a similar cut be made in a different color, a rather lovely shade of deep red, and sent to his rooms at Hogwarts.

Beth was unaware that Severus had purchased several other items that he had seen her try on, as he had asked the sales associate to wrap these and send them on to Hogwarts as well. Beth was under the impression that he had purchased two sets for her. She told him that she would reimburse him as soon as they returned home.

"You shall do no such thing," he admonished.

"Severus, you can't very well pay for all of this. I wouldn't dream of asking you," she countered.

"I certainly can pay for it, and you didn't ask me." His deep voice failed to quell her rising ire.

"Severus,"

"Beth," he cut her off in a tone that suggested he would not countenance her behavior. "I've had enough of your cheek. Now, "he placed his finger under her chin and leaned in close, "if you are quite through wasting my time with your futile argument, we have quite a few other stops to make." He placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Beth's further argument died on her lips as she melted into his soft, demanding kiss.

Severus took out his wand and reduced her bags, slipping them into his pocket; Beth gaped at him. Once again he placed his finger under her chin, only this time her closed her open mouth. "You look like a dying fish; is something the matter," he teased.

"How on earth did you do that?" her voice was filled with awe.

"If you're a good girl, I'll show you later. If you are a _very_ good girl," he purred, "I'll try to teach you." His dark eyes bore into hers.

Beth felt like a timid little school girl. There was something so different about this Severus, something that just oozed power and command. She had seen hints of it before, but standing before him in all of his wizardly glory, she was mesmerized.

Severus led her to Ollivanders; he was anxious to find out if they would be able to find a wand that would suit her. He was intent on teaching her wandless magic, but he was sure that it would be easier working through the natural progression, as most wizards found it easier to focus their power with the use of a wand.

Severus walked into Ollivanders with the lovely woman close by his side. What he failed to notice was that Lucius Malfoy had seen him escorting what appeared to be a beautiful young Muggle on his arm. Intrigued, Malfoy had watched as the two busied themselves in Madam Malkins. He waited and followed them at a distance, sneaking surreptitiously behind them into Ollivanders. Malfoy had nothing but time on his hands and a deep, abiding curiosity for all things that concerned Severus Snape.

They had maintained a terse friendship after the fall of Voldemort. Lucius' money had kept him from Azkaban, but like Severus, he had suffered no small amount of public scorn. Unlike Severus, he had a certain amount of pull, thanks in no small part to his hefty bank account, and he was able to procure a position at the ministry, Assistant Director of Muggle Relations. Such a service was intended to prove to the Wizarding world his . . . change of heart.

Curious, Lucius slipped into a shadowy isle and listened to the exchange.

"Good Afternoon, Severus," Olivander said heartily. "Dumbledore said you would be by. I understand that you lady friend is in need of a wand," he leaned in conspiratorially, "her first." The elderly wizard nodded as if he understood some deep secret.

Severus stared darkly at the Wizard across the counter, "we would appreciate your discretion in this matter,"

"Of course!" he said with a wily smile.

"Now, lets see," The elderly man looked through the stacks of wands that he had placed on the counter prior to their arrival. "Ah, here, try this." He handed Beth a slender, wooden wand.

Beth took the wand in her hand.

"Well, give it a wave," Ollivander encouraged.

She waved it, and nothing happened.

This process was repeated five more times before the older man huffed.

"Give me a moment," he looked down at his feet thoughtfully as if he was remembering some long forgotten secret. "Ah, yes, a moment." He walked swiftly through a dark door that led to the back of the shop. They heard his footsteps recede. Then, they heard him ascend what sounded like a creaking ladder. After several loud "harrumph's" they heard him descend.

Beth had rested her arm on the counter. The smooth, dark metal covered edge pushed into her skin. She removed her arm and rubbed her wrist where it had rested on the cool metal. "Hmm, I have a headache." She frowned and looked up at Severus.

"Perhaps you are hungry? We'll go get something to eat when we are through here."

Beth nodded and rubbed her temple lightly.

Ollivander returned wearing a find layer of dust and cobwebs. He dusted off the box and opened the lid. Inside, lay a ten inch wand made of silvery, willow wood. Beth took the wand out of the box and waved it around gently. Shimmering sparkles rained down on her as the wand emitted a gentle silver glow.

"Ah ha!" Ollivander clapped his hands together. "Well, I never thought I would see the day," the old man smiled up at Severus. "This wand," he looked earnestly at Beth, "this wand is very special, my dear."

"How so," earnest, golden eyes met his. Ollivander flinched; he felt her tugging on his mind. He quickly broke eye contact and looked down at the now empty box.

"Typically, when I make a wand, I have always used phoenix feathers, dragon heartstrings, or unicorn tail hairs. However, when I was a young man, I had a lover who procured a rather . . . rare substance for me. I did not ask her how she came by it. What she gave me was fairy dust . . . from Annuin himself."

"Annuin?" Severus scoffed.

"Oh, yes," Ollivander nodded meeting Severus dark eyes, "Oh, yes, Severus. I tested them, and I retested them. Annuin it was. "

"Annuin has likely been dead for a millennia Ollivander. Are you telling me that his ashes were stashed in some cave for over a millennia and found by this chit?" His ire lit, Severus began to pace.

"No at all, Severus. For, I was told that the ashes were fresh." The old man challenged.

"What!" Severus stilled, meeting the elderly wizard's gaze.

"Ashes?" Beth questioned.

"Yes, from his funeral pyre," Ollivander glanced at her, narrowed his gaze and met Severus' intense stair.

"Impossible." The young wizard's voice was filled with awe.

Ollivander nodded, "I thought so myself. The magic in those ashes," he paused, "well, you can imagine. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to close up early."

Lucius watched as Beth pulled her arm from the counter. He saw the angry red mark that the iron trim had pressed into her skin. He watched as the wand had come to life in her hands, and he listened to the heated exchange between Ollivander and Severus before slipping quietly out of the store. There was much to ponder here. What was a witch, dressed like a Muggle, of her age doing purchasing her first wand, a wand with a core of fairy dust? And, this wasn't just any fairy; it was Annuin, one of the most powerful Fairy Lords of old. Merlin had dualed with Annuin – and lost. Lucius walked quickly around the corner before apparating home. He had much to consider.


	16. Chapter 16

Note to readers – I added a couple of paragraphs to chapter 15 and had to republish it. So take a look at the last few paragraphs before you start reading chapter 16. If you've already read it, I'm sorry for the confusion. Also – remember this is AU. I'm going to be bringing back characters that didn't make it through DH. Humor me and my AU. Again – JKR owns the HP universe. Thanks again to my wonderful beta reader Ella – check out my favorite's list and read some of the great stories there. I try and save most of the stories that I read – most are SS/OC. Happy reading!

Chapter 16

Severus and Beth left Ollivanders and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to eat a quick lunch before heading to Flourish and Blotts, where Severus purchased a set of first year text books for Beth. These included The Standard Book of Spells, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Severus had several of the other texts that he would allow her to use including A History of Magic and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. He was really looking forward to teaching her Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He wondered if Dumbledore would have her sit in on some of the first year classes or leave most of her education to individual study. It could prove to be a busy year, but who was to say they couldn't mix business with pleasure?

After arguing once again as to whether or not she would be reimbursing him, Beth was finally forced to relent. They apparated back to Hogwarts and headed to Severus' quarters. He closed the door and renewed the wards carefully before turning to Beth. Removing the packages from his robes, he returned them to their original size.

"That is absolutely amazing," she shook her head. Soft, brown curls fell about her face.

Severus studied her carefully. Her tan dress hugged her upper body emphasizing the curve of her waist. The modest neckline was silted in the middle and he could only catch teasing glimpses of her cleavage. Walking over to her, he cast his gaze down her bare, well-formed calves. She had slipped off her sandals and padded over to the couch.

He summoned two campaign flutes and the elf made wine that Dumbledore had left them. After casting a chilling charm, he poured them each a glass. Slipping beside her, he handed her the wine and watch as she delicately took a sip, her eyes held his penetrating gaze.

"Mmm, this is lovely, Severus." She enjoyed the lightly sweet, fruity nature of the wine.

He knew she would love the wine;, even if it was a little sweet for his taste. But, he couldn't wait to suck the sweet flavor from her lips. He leaned forward delicately kissing her. Looking into her eyes, he ran his fingers through her silky hair, gently fingering the tousled curls. He sat his glass down and took hers as well.

"Do you think," his deep baritone made her shiver. "Do you think we can finish what we started this morning?" His eyes were darkened with desire and his lips met hers in a searching, searing kiss.

Beth returned his kiss eagerly, "oh, yes," she said almost timidly, looking up through lowered lashes.

She shifted and straddled his lap. His hands rested on her waist, slowly caressing her hips. Beth's lips trailed scorching kisses across his cheek and his strong jaw. She caught his earlobe in her teeth. Severus groaned as her hot breath blew in his ear. His senses thrumming, he clutched at her almost desperately. It was difficult to fathom, that this stunningly beautiful woman desired him. Her need for him seemed to rival his own desire for her. He was humbled by it. He poured every ounce of himself into each kiss, each caress and hoped that she realized just how much he had come to love her. His world had reoriented its orbit, and she was now the center of his universe. It petrified him, and as he lost himself in their love making, he fought a losing battle, tenuously holding onto some sort of control.

"Severus, do you know how badly I want you?" her voice was filled with need.

"Tell me," he groaned. "Tell me how much you want me, you want this." He pulled her hips down and pressed her against the hard length that strained against his trousers.

Beth whimpered, "I ache for you. My body, my soul, I want you, I need you inside of me. Severus. Now."

She stood up, and pulled on his hands as he gazed up at her with lust and longing. Swiftly, he caught her in his arms, and she twined her arms about his neck. He carried her to the bed, sat her down on her feet and began to undress her hastily. Her fingers fumbled over the buttons of his coat, and his hands shook as he pulled on her zipper. She was having no luck as she proceeded through the long line of dark buttons, and with a muttered spell he quickly divested himself of his jacket. He helped her with the buttons of his shirt, and soon he was before her bare-chested. She shrugged off her dress and pulled her silken slip over her head.

Heaving, they took each other in. Beth began working on his belt and soon had him divested of his trousers, socks and shoes. Severus picked her up and placed her gently on the bed before joining her. They began the tender assault, lips grazed sensitive places, and the room was alight with passionate sighs. Severus unclasped her bra and slid the straps slowly from her shoulders. He held the gentle weight of her breasts in his hands and lavished kisses on her breathtaking, round orbs. Beth gasped and arched up to meet his ravenous mouth. Her zealous response spurred him on, and he slid his hands down to her silky panties.

He rubbed her little nub and she pressed against his probing fingers.

"Please," she begged.

He chuckled darkly into her ear, "Please, what, dearest?"

With a flick of his wrist he magically removed her panties and slid his fingers between her wet lips.

"Oh, Severus, I want you inside of me now!" pleading, she looked in his eyes.

He rubbed his silk covered arousal against her, and she whimpered, "please, please, please."

Severus growled, slid his boxers off, and let his jutting cock press against her raspy curls.

Grinding against her he asked, "is this what you want?"

Her wanton eyes entreated him to give relief, "yes," her voice hitched, "please."

He answered her plea and slid his thick hard cock into her wet sheath in an agonizingly, slow motion.

She was so tight, he was fighting to maintain control. He leaned down and captured her lips in his. She ran her nails softly up his back, his neck and against his scalp. He began to rock inside of her slowly, and she met his thrusts with her eager hips.

His glittering eyes met hers, "I love you," he whispered, "I love you, Beth."

"Oh, Severus, I love you." Hungrily she kissed him and their fingers entwined as his thrusts became deeper, more urgent. Beth gasped as his hard shaft sent her into euphoria. He felt her climax, her tight walls contracting around him, but he was not ready for release. He watched her unhinge, her head thrown back and her nipples puckered; she yelled his name. "There was nothing more beautiful" he thought, "than the sound of his name on her lips." He thrust harder enjoying the abandon with which she came. Her breathing was ragged as she slowly slid back to earth.

"Let me ride you," she whispered in his ear.

He rolled over on his back, pulling her on top of him and he watched as she began moving her hips sensually sliding along his glorious length. Her hands glided over her stomach, and he watched covetously as she wantonly caressed her breasts running her hands up here chest and musing her hair. She threw her head back as she rapturously rode his solid cock.

Beth gazed down at her lover with undisguised worship. She had never felt such an overwhelming love and desire. It burned through her threatening to overcome her. She cried out again as she came to climax yet again.

Severus felt the connection between them as he looked into her eyes. She opened her mind to him and he could feel the love she bore him, the bright, furious devotion. Overwhelmed, he felt her emotions wield a physical command to which he succumbed. He arched up to meet her thrust as her walls clinched along his rigid member pulling him into climax with her. His body tensed as he shot his seed deep within her, and his lips uttered her name in a guttural yell. She collapsed on his chest with his name on her lips.

Those long thick fingers traced languorously up her body to cradle her head to him. Severus brought his lips tenderly to hers and kissed her reverently. Her eyes were filled with tears of overwhelming passion. He wiped them away with his thumb and cradled her cheek in his broad palm.

"I love you," he whispered. He gently slid her on the bed beside him and curled up next to her so that their bodies embraced. "I love you," she replied, and he held her fiercely as she slept in his arms.

"Potter! Potter! "

It was Millington, Antony Millington. Harry looked up as the broad man bustled into his office. He was sweating profusely. Since becoming an Auror, he had partnered with Millington, who reminded him of Ron, a great deal. Too bad Ron hated Millington. Millington ran his large palm over his short cropped hair.

"What is it Millington?" Millington never ran, unless it couldn't be helped. Not that the man was unfit; he looked like a thoroughbred. Despite the fact that he looked like he spent his every waking moment in the gym, Millington was the laziest arse he had ever met. Harry chuckled. "Sooner or later," he mused, "it would catch up to him."

Millington leaned over resting his hand on his knees. His worried eyes looked into Harry's, "There has been a break out, Azkaban," the large man huffed. "Yaxley, Dolohov, missing."

Harry pushed his chair back abruptly sending it tumbling to the floor.

"Yaxley?" his mind raced, "Yaxley had been Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, undoubtedly he held the knowledge, if anyone did, as to how one could breach the walls of Azkaban," Harry thought as his mind raced. "Well, we know where to start. "Check out our contacts in Knockturn Alley. Get Boggleburr on it immediately. He's already deep undercover. You're going to have to be careful about contacting him. He closed his access to the floo network last month after hearing the rumors that certain Death Eaters were beginning to meet again."

"Shit," Harry exclaimed. His unruly brown hair gave the impression that he was a disorganized wreck, but Millington knew that there was no greater mind to set to the task of hunting down Death Eaters than Harry Potter.

"I need to send an owl to Dumbledore. We need to let him know that Dolohov is lose and will likely be after Professor Flitwick. The man is apt to seek revenge. I'm not sure if you know this, but it was Flitwick that defeated him at the Battle of Hogwarts sending him to Azkaban. We need to notify George Weasley that Yaxley is loose. I can't imagine that Yaxley would waste his time. He is a bit more disciplined, focused than Dolohov, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared." He paused, "Well, get to it. I'm going to write the letter. Meet me back here in thirty minutes. We need to see if we can trace them. We'll go to Azkaban to inspect their holding cells, and then we will perform the trace. I imagine the guards have already failed to locate them, but perhaps we will have better luck."

Millington turned and headed for his office, secretly excited that something was finally happening. This is what they had been waiting for. Everyone had felt it coming, the unrest and discontent. Death Eaters were never happy to settle back into society and play nice. It had taken years, but something was finally coming to head. Now they would be able to drive out those few Death Eaters who had subverted all ministry efforts to capture and keep them under control.

Lucius headed towards Flourish and Blots to collect Narcissa after hanging in the shadows of an alley to watch Severus depart from Ollivanders. He tapped his cane on his leg speculating over the exchange that he had just witnessed. Fairy Half-Bloods were quiet rare; had Severus managed to find one? What was his relationship to this woman? Surely she wasn't interested in the man romantically? Malfoy sniffed, it amused him to think that Severus would try to woo such a lovely young woman. Who knew, maybe she might provide a little sport for himself. He was becoming rather bored with his little secretary. Maybe it was time to take a trip to Hogwarts and have Severus introduce him to the little fairy-witch.

He had noticed the way Severus hovered close to the girl, but, surely not. . . Severus Snape get the girl? Well, there was only one way to find out. Too bad work would keep him too busy to pursue the matter until the following week. No matter; he had spotted Narcissa in a heated discussion with their pretty little daughter-in-law. Too bad the little chit was stupid. He wouldn't mind fucking her if she would stop talking for two seconds. He had no compunctions about pulling one over on Draco; after all, if she conceived his child it would still be a Malfoy.

Narcissa turned to her husband and raised her brow. She was well aware of her husband's proclivities. Rolling her eyes, she gave him a longsuffering look. She glanced at Astoria and realized that the girl was woefully oblivious of the fact that she had attracted the lascivious notice of her father-in-law. The girl smiled up at him vapidly.

"Ah, Astoria," Lucius gave her a charming smile. "And where is my son today?" In an almost feminine gesture, he ran his fingers through his long blond hair, pushing it back from his pale face.

"Oh, you know Draco" her eyes wandered to the store front of Madam Malkin's," he's out and about somewhere. Oh look at that pretty cloak, Cissy!"

The couple watched as the young woman sauntered over to the store front. Lucius rolled his eyes and gave his wife a bored look. "Let's go Narcissa." He waited impatiently as his wife bid Astoria farewell, and they headed home.

They arrived at the manor moments later, having apparated in front of the extravagantly crafted gate. Lucius always admired the view of his ancestral home, but today, something was not quite right. He lifted his wand to disengage the wards.

"Narcissa, dear, you _did_ reestablish the wards before you left this morning?" His voice reverberated with cold ire.

"Of, course dear. I left at eleven-thirty to meet you at the Doe and Hound, and I distinctly remember setting the wards after locking the gate." Narcissa met Lucius' pointed gaze.

Lucius frowned, marring his perfect visage. "_Clearly_," he paused, "clearly, you did not! I see no signs of an intruder." Lucius cast several silent spells to detect any human presence on the grounds. "Nothing, no one is here Narcissa," Lucius' eyes roamed the well-manicured grounds nervously.

They passed through the large gate making sure to reengage the lock and wards carefully. Once in the house, Lucius made a pass through the first floor checking for any uninvited guests. He quickly looked at the clock above the mantle and realized he was late for . . . an appointment. "Narcissa, I'm heading to the ministry this afternoon. Dandridge wanted to discuss some meeting we are having with the Muggle Prime Minster later this week. I will be home for dinner and I am bringing a guest." With a flourish of his cape, the immaculately garbed man headed for the fireplace and flooed to his office.

Once there, he performed a cleansing charm on his robe to remove the ash and noticed that the other party was already present for their meeting. His secretary was perched charmingly on his desk. She was a young, busty little red head. "Are you ready to take . . . dictation, Deliah?"

He watched as she slipped off of his desk and wiggled out of her tight dress. She padded up to him in bare feet, stockings, and lacy underclothes. She was very petite, and though he was not a very tall man, he liked the physical difference in their sizes. She made him feel like he wielded a bodily power over her. He hated tall, aggressive women.

He watched as his lovely little secretary rubbed her large round breast against his waistcoat. She began to unbutton it and divest him of his clothing. "This was just the sort of _meeting_ he needed," he thought. Lucius sat down on the lush green sofa in his office and watched as the little minx went to work on his stiff member. He leaned his head back and relaxed. "Life was certainly better without Voldemort and his power hungry nonsense." He mused. "This was the sort of life that pureblood wizards were meant to enjoy."

After he had enjoyed her liberally, Lucius left his office and met briefly with Dandridge to discuss the Muggle Prime Minister. He invited him to dinner, but Dandridge declined. "Are you sure? I told Narcissa that we would be expecting a guest." Lucius countered, secretly hoping that he would not have to spend the evening alone with Narcissa. She had been rather moody lately.

"No, Malfoy, Something has . . . come up. I have another meeting of my own this evening." He smiled lasciviously at his partner, "with Miss Veres , the little secretary from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

"Well, then, I will leave you to it." Lucius patted the large man on his broad shoulder as he exited the room. "Enjoy the romp old man." He headed back to his now empty office, Delia knew when she was wanted and when to disappear, and flooed back home in a much better mood.

As soon as he stepped out of the grate, Lucius noticed that something was definitely amiss. The dining room was dark and dinner was not set. Typically, Narcissa waited for him at the table for dinner. Sometimes she would wait for him in her salon, but the table was always set with their best service and the wine was usually chilled and ready to be served. No wine, no candelabras, no Narcissa in the salon; it was dark as well. His feet passed silently over the heavily padded carpet. He headed to his study.

The room was pitch black except for the remains of a fire. He could barely see the outline of her profile in the dim orange glow. She was sitting in his favorite wingchair, unmoving.

"Narcissa, what is the meaning of this." His terse voice seemed to reverberate off of the polished, rich wood.

"Lucius," her voice trembled, "we have guests," her voice trembled.

Lucius looked around the room but saw no one. Dolohov released the Disillusionment spell, and Lucius saw his bleak, black shadow looming like a fiersome wraith in the darkness. With a flick of his wand, the fire bloomed like some hellish blossom. Dolohov's gaunt face made him seem even more a specter. The fire lent a sickly yellow cast to his emaciated face. His wand was aimed at Narcissa.

One might think, given his preoccupation with tupping any willing filly, that Lucius did not care for his wife. Nothing could be further from the truth; He loved his her. And, had she asked him to quell his earthly delights, he would have attempted to end his extramarital affairs. She knew, however, that she could not keep up with his desires, and so, as her mother had done before her and as many a pure blood wife was wont to do, she tolerated his dalliances with these other women, safe in the knowledge that none would ever replace her in Lucius' eyes.

Lucius watched as Dolohov approached his trembling wife. "Now then," Lucius oozed, "there is no need for that; we are all friends," his voice coaxed Dolohov who seemed to respond, slowly lowering his wand.

Lucius felt a swift jab on the side of his throat as a hand swiftly drew around him to grasp his chin and further expose his neck.

"Ha, ha, Malfoy, you always were a slippery one," Yaxley''s hoarse voice grated in his ear. "Since we are all friends, why don't we share you lovely wife? You don't know how many times I wanted to get in her at our Dark Revels. You were always so stingy for a man with so much at his disposal." Yaxley ran his wand almost lovingly down Lucius' throat.

Lucius swallowed thickly, "Now, Yaxley, there is no need for this to turn ugly. Surely we can come to an arrangement. You must need something that I can provide?"

"Traitor," Yaxley spat, "Blood Traitor! You're working with the Muggles; Muggle lover! What, did you exhaust your supply of witches ready to spread their legs? Are you after the Muggles now? Have you made any half-breeds from these unions? You disgust me you pompous, self-righteous, traitor." Yaxley pushed him forward and Lucius landed on his hands and knees. He rose to his feet slowly and turned to see that Yaxlely had grabbed his cane. His wand was hidden in the hilt of his cane.

"Come, now, Yaxley. Surely, you know I'm merely playing the part." Lucius' mellifluous voice cajoled.

"No one had heard from you Malfoy!" He spat. "There have been gatherings, and no one has heard from you. Care to explain?" Yaxley was glaring at him. With a flick of his wrist the room was bathed in light.

Lucius blinked furiously as the bright light stung his eyes. "I was unaware that anyone was meeting; the last I heard, everyone was in hiding. I have merely tried to survive; surely, I cannot be faulted for this? Lucius glared at the ragged looking man.

"I'll tell you what you can do, Lucius. You can open your home to us; let us meet here," Yaxley challenged.

"I," Lucuis fumbled, "I can't do that. I'm being watched; someone would discover . . . "

"Then what use are you!" Yaxley yelled. The still house settled around him. "I'll kill you now and get it over with you slimy little worm." Yaxley's face contorted with rage.

Lucius threw up his hands, "Wait!" He cried. "Wait, Yaxley," his silky voice pleaded.

"I don't have time to play Lucius. There is a group of strong supporters who want to push forward with the Dark Lord's agenda. If there is a way, we are going to bring him back. We will not admit defeat!" Yaxley was crazed.

Lucius paused, thinking. The man was unbalanced. There was no way to bring back the Dark Lord, but what he could do was divert attention from himself. If he was good at anything, it was saving his own skin. "I might have some interesting information for you Yaxley," Lucius coaxed. "Why don't we have a seat and share a delightful sniffer of brandy while my wife tends to dinner?" He could see that the men had not had a decent meal in Merlin knew when.

Yaxley straightened, "What information?"

Dolohov flicked his wand at Narcicca motioning for her to leave the room. Lucius watched as she rose gracefully and bowed her head to Yaxley, "I will have dinner ready within the hour, gentlemen." She walked from the room steadily.

Yaxley watched her and kept his wand trained on Lucius. They all took a seat in his study.

"Now, " Lucius began as he poured them each a glass of his finest brandy, "I have made an interesting discovery about one Severus Snape."

Lucius watched as Yaxley's interest was piqued. "If you have something on that bastard Snape, let's hear it."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It is pronounced "Wingardium Leviosa," Severus articulated distinctly.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Beth repeated.

She was distracted by the sound of his voice, and she could not stop staring at his lips.

"Now," he slid next to her on the sofa and took her wrist lightly in his hand. Leaning close he said, "move your hand like this. Swish and flick as you say the spell. You need to focus on the book."

He watched as she moved her hand in the appropriate manner enunciating, "Wingardium Leviosa."

The book hovered for a moment and fell back to the table.

"Good, but you need to focus. Try again," Severus knew that she was distracted by his nearness. He chuckled as her next attempt failed completely.

Beth looked at him, exasperatedly. "Severus, I can't concentrate with your hand there."

He had slid his hand up her ribcage and it rested under the gentle weight of her breast. He looked at her through lowered lids, "You're going to have to learn to focus your magic when you are distracted. " He whispered in her ear, "try again."

Beth closed her eyes and felt his thumb make little circles on her back where it rested. She tried not to smile as she chastised him, "Severus Snape, your intentionally sabotaging all of my efforts."

"No, my dear, I'm testing your ability to concentrate. And, I must say you are doing very poorly," his deep voice rumbled in her ear. Beth giggled. "Well, I think that's all for now," he kissed her lightly on the lips. "We should make our way to dinner. How would you like to help me brew a potion this evening? We could start with something simple, maybe a calming draught?"

"I'd love to, _Professor_, "she teased.

"So, am I going to be allowed to attend classes at Hogwarts?" She gazed at him curiously.

"Well, I am not sure how the Headmaster will want to handle the situation. It is rather unusual. We have never had older students attend Hogwarts. It is likely that he may allow you to have private tutoring sessions with several of the professors here. How would you feel about staying in the castle?" Severus wondered if she would be willing to leave the home she had spent so much time setting up. What if she did not want to leave?

"Well, would I be able to continue teaching online? I would need an internet connection." She looked expectantly at him.

"I don't quite understand the question," he countered, "but I am afraid that most Muggle technology does not work inside the castle."

"Oh," Beth nodded.

Severus thought she seemed rather dejected, "We'll talk to the Headmaster about it; perhaps something can be done."

Many of the other professors were out that evening, so they dined with Minerva and Albus. Beth shifted uncomfortably, thinking about what Severus had said about the lack of technology available at Hogwarts. There was just no way she could stay here if she could not continue to teach. She required an income. It was possible to live for a little while on the money that Aunt Helen had left her, but it was not a particularly large sum. And, Beth thought, she really enjoyed working.

Albus cleared his throat, "It has occurred to me," he looked pointedly at Beth, "that you might benefit from studying here at Hogwarts. I cannot in good conscience let you live in the Muggle world without some training. I have spoken with Minerva, and we agree that it would be best if you work individually with several of our professors here." He paused looking over his spectacles at her.

"My dear, could you tell me what you do? What are your skills, and what do you do in the Muggle world?" His friendly face beamed at her from across the table. He took a bite of soup as he listened to Beth intently. Beth related her various degrees and how she had worked as a Librarian, English, and Literature professor. Dumbledore nodded enthusiastically.

"Perfect," he chuckled, "you see, it is highly questionable that we would have a seemingly random adult living at Hogwarts, particularly one without magical ability. However, there are several options. How would you feel about teaching here, perhaps working in the library, or both. We have several positions that are available at the moment. We are currently looking for a new Muggle Studies professor."

Beth interrupted, "Muggle Studies?"

"Yes, my dear," the elderly Wizard nodded, "Muggle Studies; we encourage our young Wizards and Witches to learn about the Muggle world. This helps them to understand how Muggles live in the world, and we believe that such a class encourages Wizards to work together with Muggles. Being that you have lived in the Muggle world, you would be perfect for the position."

Beth blushed, "But I'm from America. I am sure that there are quite a few cultural differences."

"Ah, never mind that. I can tell you that it would likely make you very popular with the students, you being American, but the general principals are the same – Science, Literature, Mathematics. Muggle History and Muggle Science exist apart from these superficial cultural issues. However, should you choose, you might speak with some of the Muggle born students here to learn about these differences." He paused to take a bite of a rather crusty piece of bread; the crumbs littered his beard. With a flick of his wand, he removed the debris.

"Now. The other positions I mentioned would include a possible assistantship in the library under Madam Pince and a position as a Writing Professor. Minerva and I have spoken at length about including Writing as a class for years, particularly for our first and second year students. It seems that the writing ability of some of our students lacks a lot to be desired. Perhaps you would like some time to think it over? I could deliver the old syllabi for the Muggle Studies class to you if you would like." His eyebrows rose in a questioning glance.

"That would be great," Beth was more than a little stunned. She had accepted the position with Caither University to teach Introduction to Writing and Introduction to Literature the following semester, but she had not yet signed and renewed her contract. There was still sometime before the semester started for them to find a replacement. Perhaps it would be a fun change of pace to teach Muggle Studies. It seemed like some sort of general education class. She really was getting tired of teaching writing. The papers were usually so onerous to grade, and the writing never seemed to get much better. Well, if they were stellar writers, they would have tested out of her class to begin with." She sighed.

Severus was finding it difficult to contain his excitement, which was quite out of character. He didn't quite know what to do with his limbs and appendages. Fidgeting; he was bloody fidgeting. He watched Beth carefully to gauge her reaction. This would be the perfect solution; he was thinking about what it would be like to wake up with her in his arms every morning.

As if he had heard Severus' train of thought, Dumbledore cleared his throat, "of course, we have a lovely set of rooms ready for you as well." His merry blue eyes were glued to his plate as he lifted his knife and fork to attack a piece of chicken. The corners of his mouth quirked up.

Severus' eyes bore into Dumbledore. He had assumed that Beth would be down in the dungeon with him. He had not stopped to think about Dumbledore's interference. "Sir, she could room in the dungeons. . ."

"Now, Severus," the older man chided, "how would that look, our _unmarried_ Muggle Studies professor can hardly room with our bachelor Potion's Professor. " Minerva chuckled at the dark expression that crossed Severus' face.

Beth fought to keep a straight face. "Ahh," she thought, "someone is pushing for an early engagement." Beth chuckled to herself. Clearly, Dumbledore would not be happy until there was a wedding at Hogwarts, and this was his way of manipulating Severus yet again. She was not sure if Severus knew he was pushing for a wedding or if, perhaps, her merely suspected Dumbledore of thwarting his salacious plans.

"Well, there are plenty of rooms in the Dungeon that she might use as her quarters" Severus countered.

Beth blushed. He was clearly intent on keeping her close. Her warm cheeks grew redder at the thought of sneaking across the hall to his rooms in the middle of the night. Severus noticed her violent blush and grinned slyly at her. He was having similar thoughts about crawling into her bed at night.

"Well, I have already had Winkie prepare a lovely set of rooms for her in Gryffindore tower overlooking the lake." Dumbledore was intent on the piece of chicken he was working on. He had cut it into about twenty tiny little pieces. He smiled down at it, and then up at Severus as he nibbled on one tasty little bite. "Was there something you wanted to say, my boy?"

Severus glared at Dumbledore, and decided that he would just have to connect their rooms via floo. If the old meddlesome man wanted to put his nose where it didn't belong, then he was just going to have to be clever about subverting his plans. It was not as if he was not concerned about Beth's virtue or how things might appear to students. Honestly, he was so focused on his own desire that he had not thought of it. Dumbledore's comment had embarrasses him. He did not want Beth to think that he thought so little of her reputation, but, honestly, he failed to see why it would be a problem if she stayed in the dungeons and they were discrete.

Once Beth was through eating, Severus pushed his chair abruptly back from the table, "We will be leaving tomorrow morning. Beth will owl you her response concerning the job." Severus threw his napkin disgustedly on the table.

Dumbledore chuckled as the young couple exited the hall. Minerva smiled over at him, "Albus, do you really have to push the boy so hard? You know, I really don't think it is going to be long before he proposes. Do you see the way he looks at her? I never thought I would see the day that Severus Snape looked at a woman like that. You'd think she hung the moon!" she chuckled.

Albus patted his lips with a crisp white napkin, "Perhaps she did Minerva. She must be something if she caught his attention. I highly suspect that he was drawn to her because of her Magic. Oh, now, Minerva," he held up his hands at her scowl, " I don't mean to say that he was not attracted to the girl. She is quite beautiful, but you and I both know it would take more than just a pretty face to hold the attention of Severus Snape. He feels her power, and she has an earthy power that most witches lack. You know the Old Ones were sublimely attractive to humans, especially Witches and Wizards. Our Magics provide a balance, a harmony to the universe. Such unions are generally very blessed. I once knew a wizard who married such a woman. He met her late in his life. He lived to be 537."

"What!" Minerva interjected.

"Yes," he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It may also come as a surprise to you, but many Asian Wizards live longer than _we_ do, my dear. I suspect it has something to do with these ancient bloodlines."

"Melissa," Millington thundered into his assistant's cubical.

The small blond looked up from her computer screen, "Yes Anthony?" She smiled at a very red-faced Anthony Millington. He straightened fixing his mused appearance and fought to keep his breathing under control.

"Melissa," he began again trying to speak steadily, "We need to contact Boggleburr. What are our options?"

Melissa watched as Anthony attempted to compose himself. "Well, after he closed the floo, we set up a special diary to maintain communication. The head of the Tactical Crime Unit has the diary. Did you have a message that you need to relay. I can make sure it is sent immediately."

"That would be perfect."

She retrieved the form from her desk , "here it is, Form 347 D, Confidential Message Form. You will need to fill out section C so that the appropriate individuals are able to read the form, otherwise it appears to be blank. I'll make sure Captain Hawk sends the message immediately."

Melissa watched as he scribbled a quick message letting Bogglebur know that both Yaxley and Dolohov had escaped from Azkaban, and to notify them of any suspicious activity that he may become aware of. "Thank you Melissa" Millington turned and headed back to his office.

Horace, assistant to Nymphadora Lupin, peeped up over his cubical. "So what's the scoop anyway? Millington doesn't move like that unless there is a fire burning." Horace said conspiratorially.

"It looks like Yaxley and Dolohov have escaped from Azkaban. Potter and Millington are contacting Boggleburr to let him know. If there is any suspicious activity, surely he will be the first to be aware of it. As I understand, he has infiltrated a pack of nasty Death Eaters. He was working undercover during the war and just returned to his old post once we caught wind of more activity. But, I didn't tell you that.." She whispered and looked around nervously.

It was common for them to share the activities of their partners. The assistants often worked together to appraise each other as to what was going on outside the confines of the Ministry. Sometimes it was helpful for the Aurors, who rarely knew of each other's activities. Even though it was suppose to be forbidden to discuss the private missions of the Aurors; more often than not, this sort of water cooler talk had helped to break very important cases. Horace nodded and ducked back into his cubical. Melissa failed to notice the knowing smile that flitted across his face. "Boggleburr," he whispered.

Malfoy looked over at Yaxley as the man downed another sniffer of his fine brandy. Despite his hope that a drunken Yaxley would relax his guard allowing him to gain the upper hand, Yaxley seemed even more on edge. Dolohov had refused to drink more than one glass.

"Let's hear it, Malfoy," Yaxley spat. "What do you know of that traitor Severus Snape."

I happened upon him this very afternoon. He is still Dumbledore's little stooge, working as the Potions Master at Hogwarts. You know, the Ministry turned down his application for his Potion's License; he wanted to start his own business," Lucius laughed heartily. "It is amusing to see where his devotion to their "cause" got him. He devoted his life to saving those Muggle loving bastards, and they treat him like a dastardly criminal."

Yaxley sat unmoved, "I don't give a fuck about his blasted license or his job. I want to know how I can get at the blasted blood traitor."

"Well," Lucius curled his lips and continued in a rather bored voice, "I happened to see him with a fetching young woman on his arm today; she looked like a Muggle. _Pretty_ little thing too, too pretty for the likes of Snape."

"So, you think I'm going to spare you life because you tell me about his Muggle whore? " Yaxley's voice rose to a fevered pitch. His wand was once again at Lucius' throat.

The blond man used his index finger and removed the wand from his throat as if it was some diseased object. "Hardly," he continued.

"I followed them to, of all places, Ollivanders" he glared at the wild looking man who sat back in his chair.

Lucius nodded, "Yes, he purchased a wand for her . . . her _first _wand."

Yaxley shifted agitatedly.

"There were several interesting things that I noticed throughout the exchange. First was the wand – willow wood ten inches with a core of fairy dust." Lucius paused.

"Fucking fairy dust?" Yaxley muttered. "Who the fuck cares about . . "

"Shut up." Dolohov's harsh voice cut through the room like a rasp on rough wood. "Continue Malfoy." His sharp eyes pinned Yaxley to his seat. Yaxley sat up, eyes narrowed.

"Yes, well, the ashes are reportedly those of Annuin." Malfoy's eyes met those of Dolohov.

"And what happened when she held the wand?" His low rough voice shook.

"There was a silver light and she was bathed in a shower of silver. Does this mean anything to you?" Lucius was becoming decidedly uncomfortable. Yaxley's mania and Dolohov's detached response did not sit well with him. They had been at the mercy of Dementor's for the last two years. They must be cracked.

"It says to me that she's of the Old Blood," Dolohov spoke in slow, measured tones.

"What the fuck are you talking about," Yaxley snapped.

"The Sidhe, the Fairy Folk, the _Old Blood._ If she was chosen by a wand with a fairy dust core, she has to be one of the Old Races. Their magic is different than that of human wizards. "Dolohov gazed into the fire. "It also suggests that she was Iron Bound; the power was Iron Bound if she is only just coming into her magic."

"You're going to have to be a little bit clearer; I don't follow, " Lucius prodded glancing over at Yaxley to see him fidgeting with his wand nervously.

"It is a ritual, to be bound by iron. Fairy Blood reacts adversely to iron, unless they are bound. It takes powerful magic to break a binding."

"Which explains the mark," Lucius mused. When the two men looked at him Lucius explained, "Her arm was resting on Ollivander's counter; when she pulled away, I noticed a red mark on her it. She complained of a headache. " Dolohov nodded; they can't abide iron." He finished slowly.

"So what does it mean," Yaxley looked at Dolohov

The solemn man continued, "Somewhere down the line one of her relatives bound their child, bound the magic with iron, which means that the magic was passed on but bound. They would not have had access it until the binding was lifted." Dolohov met Lucius' clear grey eyes. "It also means that she is very powerful. Binding the magic means that with each successive generation the magic is distilled. It means she is a very powerful tool." Dolohov's smile stretched slowly across his face. His eyes looked empty and lifeless.

Lucius shivered. He had intended on setting Yaxley on Severus to divert attention from himself; the conversation had not gone the way he had planned. He did not want to be drawn into some fanciful plot with fairy magic. He wanted to go about fucking his secretary and living comfortably. Yaxley wasn't going to allow him to weasel out of this.

"So, how can she be of use to us?" Yaxley glared at Dolohov.

"I don't know yet; we need to speak to Morrigan." Dolohov's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Morrigan?" Lucius had heard the name bandied about by some of the lesser Death Eaters, but he knew very little about this almost mythical figure. He had heard it said that Morrigan knew all sorts of dark, forgotten magic. He assumed she was just some old, medieval witch who lived in a hut and sold rotten potions. It was likely that she had the gift of Site. Most of the old ones were fair scryers.

"That crazy old bat?" Yaxley said disgustedly. "I'm not traipsing across the moors for some nasty old witch who is just as likely to hex me as she is to help me."

"She's my great-grandmother." There was that smile again. Lucius felt an icy hand creep up his spine.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Severus threw open the door to his room. He stalked across the room and grabbed a bottle of fire whiskey and poured a hefty glass. Taking a generous swig, he grimaced as it burned down his throat and filled him with a warm, calm feeling.

Beth closed the door behind her and pulled out her wand, "Can you teach me to make a… what do you call it again? Protective barrier?"

"A ward, it's a bit more complicated." He said, his back was still to her. He tapped his fingers on the mantel of the fireplace.

"Hmmm," she noticed the tension in his shoulders, "maybe I can perform a little magic of my own." She walked behind him and let her hands glide up to his shoulders. He was wearing so many damn layers. She let her hands drift up to his neck where she began to message. His head dropped forward. She stood on her toes pressing her body against his. She whispered, "Why don't you sit down and take off your coat. She led him to the sofa and helped him out of his jacket. Then she slipped behind him on the couch, and with her legs around him, she began to rub his tense muscles. "You shouldn't let him get to you, you know." She said lightly.

"Mph." was his only reply.

She reached around and began to unbutton the little buttons of his shirt, and she peeled it off of his broad shoulders. She kissed the sensitive skin on his back between his shoulder blades and heard his swift intake of breath.

Soft firm fingers stroked the thick chorded muscles of his back. Severus moaned; he loved to feel her touch him. He had lived so long without being touched; he thought he had steeled himself against such assaults. As a child, he remembered how he longed to be held by his mother, who never showed him any affection. His grandmother Prince, on the few occasions he had seen her, had been the only one to touch him. She had held him, hugged him, and had run her hands through his hair. Other than her, he had made it a habit to shun the touch of others. The women he had used were always instructed not to touch him more than was necessary, and his colleagues knew he did not tolerate affection. The only one to touch him had been that stubborn fool Albus Dumbledore. He insisted on hugging him on his birthday, holidays, and even random in opportune stressful moments. He had fought tears once when Albus had hugged him after a particularly rough meeting with Voldamort.

This, this was heaven. Her legs were wrapped around him, and he could feel the tenderness in her touch. Her sweet hands caressed his flesh in an almost worshipful, reverent way.

He felt her tugging on her own cloths, and he watched as her dress pooled on the floor beside the couch. A lacy white bra joined it. He felt her naked breasts press up against him as her hands worked out the kinks in his muscles. Her hands slid down his biceps, around his chest, and her nails raked lightly across his nipples raising goose flesh across his body. Lithe little fingers followed the trail of dark hair to where it disappeared under his slacks. Unhooking his belt and the button on his slacks, her fingers slid into his boxers and stroked his throbbing shaft. She knelt behind him and continued to rub his shoulders. He felt her erect nipples as they traced scorching paths across his skin. Her hands slid into his hair and her nails scraped his scalp. His nerve endings were on fire.

Then, he felt it. Her fingertips crackled with energy. His senses were filled with her smell, taste, touch; she was everywhere. He realized what she was talking about as he felt an energy that was distinctly Beth. He moaned as she stroked her fingers across his jaw, his lips, and down his throat to where his pulse thrummed. Electric fingers traced down his chest, her hair tickled the side of his face, and he felt her warm breath in his ear. She caught his earlobe in her moist mouth, and she moaned as she dragged her little teeth over the sensitive skin.

Beth felt him relax under her touch, and then she felt his magic respond to her own release. She could see the haze that surrounded them like some mystical force field. She threw her head back and let his magic mingle with her own, smiling to herself as she heard him moan.

"Beth," his deep baritone pleaded.

She slid from behind him, slipped off her panties, and crawled on his lap. He lifted himself from the sofa and worked his pants and boxers down. Broad hands grasped her supple hips and guided her onto him. Gasping, she rocked on his thick shaft bringing them closer. The room was thick with magic as they gently worshiped each other with their bodies. Severus looked into her eyes and felt her gentle tug on his mind; he let her in. She filled him with her longing and her love, and he opened his thoughts to her spilling out his love in a torrent of emotion as their bodies coalesced in a gentle fission of magic and longing.

Soft lips grazed his, teasing as her tongue slid into his mouth in an erotic dance that left him breathless. He felt like he was floundering along a riptide trying to master an untamable force; yielding to it, he felt her seep into his pours, his soul. He began to thrust into her wildly in an effort to quell her urgent little cries. He gazed into her lovely golden eyes, "Severus," she moaned as she took him deeply into her.

He responded to her plea and swiftly dove within her with increasing ferocity; his body drove her to the precipice. He could feel her quivering desire surround him. He breathed her in as his body pleaded for release. Fighting for control, his cock throbbed as he slid within her wet sheath. She threw back her head and arched her lovely back thrusting her erect nipples within reach. He captured one succulent bud, and she screamed as her release sent wave after wave of intense pleasure through her body tightening the muscles of her womanhood. Severus came undone when he felt her constrict around him. He spilled inside of her as she rode him wantonly. They slowly drifted back to reality as the gentle silver haze melted around them. He clasped her to him in the gentle embrace of his strong arms.

Millington was breathless, yet again, as he reached Potter's office.

"Ready?" Harry asked as Millington loped into his office. "I sent the letter to Dumbledore, so I think that covers it. Hopefully we will hear something from Boggleburr soon."

Millington nodded, "I'll speak with Captain Hawk when we get back and see if he has heard anything."

"Great," Harry nodded, "Well, let's head to the apparition chamber. I don't want to be in Azkaban any longer than necessary."

The two wizards headed swiftly to the dark chamber and apparated to the prison. They were met by two guards who had their wands trained on them as they appeared in the dank room.

"Ahh, Potter," a man dressed in dark uniform robes muttered.

"Still," the other man, similarly garbed, grunted, "we need to see your identification."

Millington and Harry flashed their ministry badges.

"Alright," the first guard muttered, "I'm Simon and this is Shuster. Shuster, please escort them to the empty cell so they can start their investigation."

Shuster nodded, "Come with me," He lead the down a dark narrow passageway into the heart of the prison. They passed the cramped cells, and Harry glanced at the dark portholes as he walked by. Occasionally rough, dirty hands reached out at them through the bars.

"Here we are," Shuster gestured with his wand, "this is Yaxley's cell."

The two young Aurors ran diagnostic spells to determine how the wizard escaped without the use of a wand. After a half hour of fruitless searching, they began to run tracing spells. "I've got a hit," Harry yelled. Let's head back to the apparition chamber; we can't apparate from here. They quickly ran to the dark chamber where Simon was still standing guard; Shuster arrived behind them. Simon nodded to them. Harry looked over at his partner, "Millington, grab on to me. Shuster, please send a notice to the ministry to follow our trace." With that, Millington grabbed onto Harry's arm as they apparated to a nearby location.

Harry felt the telltale pull of force as they watched the room swirl out of view. They appeared in what seemed to be a deserted hovel. Harry flicked his wand running a location spell, "East, we are thirty miles east of the prison." He cast a patronus, and sent a message to the head Auror, "Remus, we located a hovel thirty miles east of Azkaban. We are gathering evidence and will run another trace once we have searched the area thoroughly. We are still unaware as to how Yaxley escaped his cell. Please send another group to run a search on Dolohov's cell." The stag raced off as the two wizards began to search the area.

Six hours later, they had traced the men to a small, now empty, room in Knocturn Alley. "We need to secure the area until it can be further searched. I'm exhausted, and you look like you are dead on your feet. I'm going to set up wards around this place to alert us if anyone happens to break in. It should be safe until we can get back here tomorrow morning."

Millington nodded and rubbed his red rimmed eyes. "Make sure to set up an anti-apparation mechanism to trap anyone that happens to pop in here. Maybe we'll catch us a rat by morning." He chuckled.

Harry nodded, though he rather thought it was unlikely that the men would return here. They cast Disillusionment spells as they headed out of the cramped room and into the street. It was littered with refuse, and the moonlight glittered off of the moist paving stones. They muffled their footsteps as they stepped into a secluded alcove to apparate back to the Ministry.

There was no word from Boggleburr yet, so they sent another message notifying him of their discoveries and asking him to keep an eye on the address in Knocturn Alley before heading home for the evening.

Yaxley arrived at the preset destination and waited for the telltale pop that would signal Dolohov's appearance. They had spoken no more about their plans to Lucius; instead, they had enjoyed a very satisfying meal. He had enjoyed the view that Narcissa had provided as she presided over the meal. Lucius was lucky they were letting him live for now. Perhaps he would prove useful, and if not, he would kill the fucking bastard. But, not before he let him watch as he had a little fun with his wife. His lips pulled up into a maniacal grin.

Dolohov appeared behind him. Yaxley held up his finger up to his lips. Someone passed by the window of the room they were using. He cast a Disillusionment charm over himself and Dolohov. He watched as the door opened, and he caught a glimpse of two figures before they disappeared under their own charm. He would know that face anywhere. "Potter," he mused, "Fucking Harry Potter and some large oaf." The two men listened from the darkness as light steps passed their hiding spot. It was no use returning to the rooms. They were likely warded to alert the Ministry if they returned.

Dolohov grabbed the front of Yaxley's robes and pulled him close. Yaxley could feel the man's hot breath on his face and spittle pelted his face as the man vented his frustration, "Fucking Potter," his voice retained its steely calm. "Alright, follow me and stay close. We can lay low with Edgington."

Dolohov led him further down the winding alley. Moments later, they ducked into yet another dark, damp alcove. It had begun to rain and the smell of damp refuse filled the air. Dolohov knocked lightly on the door. He tapped three times, then two, and then three more times. A squat little man with dark hair with a large bulbous nose opened the door. When he spotted Dolohov he looked behind the men suspiciously and ushered them in quickly. "No one saw you did they? You weren't followed were you?"

"We are alone Edge, but we need to get out of the city tomorrow night. You got any contacts that can help?" Dolohov asked. Yaxley fidgeted uncomfortably. He remembered Edgington very well, and he did not trust the man. He had been involved enough to be familiar, but the man had never participated in any of their "events." This spoke worlds to Yaxley, who liked to have enough dirt on someone in order to wield it is leverage over them. As far as he knew, there was no dirt to be had on Edgington. He had never been linked to the rotten Muggle lovers, but that was not enough to recommend the man.

"How do we know we can trust him?" Yaxley snapped at Dolohov.

"You ask me that now?" Dolohov sneered. "He's going to keep quiet and help, unless he wants to meet a swift end." Dolohov glared at Edgington.

"You have my word. I will help in any way I can. Now, where do you need to go?" He looked from Dolohov to Yaxley.

"We need to head north to Yorkshire. We've been traced. They are following us; Potter is following us. So we need to move swiftly without using magic, at least until we are out of range."

Edgington nodded, "I've got a friend with an automobile. He can get you as far as Coventry."

"Perfect," Dolohov nodded.

"Now," Edgington scratched his scruffy neck, "let me make you comfortable for the night. He grabbed several grubby blankets and built up the fire.

The weary men gladly stretched out in front the warm fire.

Edgington waited until he heard the men softly snoring, and he creeped into his bedroom. He grabbed a grimy nondescript book and a ratty looking quill and walked over to the window. A sliver of moonlight lit the page. He wrote, "Hawk, message received. They are hear. Headed to Coventry tomorrow; wait to apprehend. Must discover what they are up to first, B." He waited for a moment as the page glimmered and the writing disappeared.

Severus pulled Beth to him and nuzzled her neck, "Would you like to make that potion now?"

Beth giggled and turned to him, "Yes, _Professor_, I would love to help you make a potion. I don't think I could sleep now even if I wanted to. I feel so full of energy."

"I do as well. I haven't felt this energized in quite some time."

Severus slipped on his slacks and his white shirt. He watched Beth pull on her silky panties as he rolled up his shirtsleeves. "Maybe you should put on something a little warmer this evening. It is a little chilly down here."

She paused for a moment and rummaged in her bag. She pulled out a pair of black and white plaid, cotton sleep pants. Then she walked over to his wardrobe and grabbed one of his neatly folded white shirts and slipped it on, rolling up the sleeves. She grinned cheekily up at him, "Ready!"

He smirked and bent down to kiss her, "Come, I think you'll enjoy this."

Severus was excited to finally share his passion for brewing with her. He secretly hoped that she would prove to be an adept student. He knew it was probably too much to ask that she enjoy potions as much as he did, but he was hopeful that she would enjoy working with him from time to time.

The went into his study to his work area, and he began to gather items from his private store room. He gestured for her to join him. We will need scurvy-grass, peppermint, ginger roots, powdered moonstone, and belladonna. He gestured to where each item was and grabbed the appropriate vials. He brought them over to the counter. Grabbing the mortar and pestle, Severus gestured towards the moonstone, "I want you to remove one and reduce it to a fine powder using this. He handed her the mortar and pestle and watched as she carefully ground the small stone.

"Now," he gestured towards the cauldron. "Add five cups of water from that bucket."

She added the water as he lit the fire under the cauldron, "This will need to come to a boil. As it comes to a boil, you will add the powdered moonstone and stir counter clockwise until it dissolves." He watched as the monitored the water intently. As the water began to simmer, she grabbed the powdered moonstone and began to stir the potion counter clockwise.

She picked up the ginger root and studied it closely. Severus watched her as she examined the ordinary root. As she held in her hand, something began to happen. Beth felt her hand tingle, and then she saw the shriveled root fill out and sprout tiny white filaments as if it were growing in the palm of her hand. Beth immediately dropped the root and looked up at Severus. His dark eyebrows were raised in surprise.

"Are they supposed to do that?" she asked.

"No" he replied shortly. "Chop it up finely like this." He demonstrated briefly showing her how to hold the knife and illustrating the proper size that she should make each small piece.

She copied his movements precisely. Years working in a kitchen had made her quite adept at using a knife with great precision.

"Now add the ginger and a dash of the scurvy-grass to the potion. Then add the peppermint."

He watched as she added the ginger. When she took a pinch of the scurvy-grass, he watched her study it closely. Once again, he watched as the withered pieces became rehydrated. She quickly threw them in the mixture. She picked up the peppermint, and similarly, the brown leaves turned green in her palm. She added the fresh-smelling leaves .

"Now, you are going to add three drops of belladonna. Your potion should turn to an amber color."

She added the belladonna slowly, and he watched as the potion did indeed turn amber. He reduced the flame and allowed the potion to settle. "Now, we wait 15 minutes and you will put the potion in these vials. We will be able to use them next term in the hospital wing." He smiled at her.

Beth noticed the troubled look in his eyes, "Severus, what just happened?"

He stood for a minute looking at the potion, his eyebrows raised slightly and he stared at her in a bewildered fashion, "I'm not sure, but you did manage to brew a perfect calming draught on your first try."


	19. Chapter 19

I am sorry that it has taken so long to post this chapter. Life has been a little hectic lately. Once again JK Rowling owns everything from the HP universe. Thanks again to my lovely beta reader Ella for her encouragement.

Chapter 19

Beth curled up next to Severus in his bed. The warm covers were tucked around them. Having just come from the shower, they were drowsy and warm.

"Severus, what happened this evening with those plants?" her voice was troubled.

"I was hoping that you could tell me a little about what you felt when it happened. Did you do anything consciously?" He looked over at her. She snuggled closer, and her warm breath blew across his shoulder.

"I wasn't thinking about anything. It just . . . happened."

"I think we can assume," he paused and cleared his throat, "that this is in essence a part of your ability to manipulate living things. How would you feel about staying another day at Hogwarts?"

"Of course," she said as she wrapped her arm around his chest, tilting up her chin so that she could look into his eyes. "I need to send a resignation letter to Caither when we return, but I intend on accepting the position at Hogwarts." A lovely smile lit her face.

"I'm glad," He tightened his arms around her, "I was not looking forward to the end of summer, when I had to return." He paused, "Beth, meeting you has been the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me." He looked at her with tender emotion in his eyes.

His earnestness touched her. "I love you too, Severus," he kissed his lips lightly. While he did not say the words, she could read them in his eyes. She could tell that he was not typically a demonstrative man, but he had been very open with her. Beth noticed the way he often hesitated before touching her or paused before speaking such loving phrases. It was no surprise to her now that she was aware of his childhood.

While she had noticed the little ticks of his personality before, there was something different about their rapport since they had arrived at Hogwarts. There was the way in which she . . . experienced . . his magic as well as the waves of feeling that washed over her when she was specifically focusing on him. She did not understand where these feelings were coming from, "Severus, is it normal for Wizards to experience each other's emotions? Lately, It is almost as if I can feel the emotions of those around me."

Her question intrigued him. He had felt her presence in his mind, but it was unlike the Legillimancy he had experienced at the hands of Dumbledore or Voldemort. He suspected that she had been teasing out the emotional state of those around her without knowing. If she was to have any sort of mental peace, and truthfully, if he was to have any peace of mind, she would need to learn to control this behavior. Short of teaching her Occlumency, he was not sure how to help her. It was as good a place as any to start.

"It is uncommon. There are spells that allow one to see into the mind of others. Do you see anything as you slip into the mind?" His curiosity was gleaming in his eyes.

"No, I do not see anything, but I can feel their emotions. For instance, when we were in Ollivander's, I could tell that he was very curious about me. He was also a little afraid. I could not hear any distinct thoughts, merely his emotional state." Her earnest eyes were troubled. "Severus, I got the feeling that he was worried that someone else might find out about me, as if I were, perhaps, dangerous. He seemed almost hesitant about letting me have the wand."

"As to your abilities, I hope that we can learn how to control them together. Tomorrow you will begin training in Occlumency. Perhaps if you learn to block your mind, you will be able to guard your thoughts and keep from entering the minds of others without intending to do so. We can also work on Legillimancy. It is likely that you have a natural knack for it, and your gift is likely some rudimentary form of the spell." His eyes traveled across the room to where the tattered book that Dumbledore had given him sat. "As to the danger you represent, well, all untrained Wizards are a threat to themselves and those around them. The quicker you learn to master your abilities the better. We talk more tomorrow. For now, I think we could both benefit from a well disserved rest."

She snuggled next to him and slid her arm around his chest, enjoying the play of his muscles as he adjusted his arm to pull her close. He reached up to tuck her hand in his and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Beth felt a warm flutter in her chest. Being near him never failed to flood her senses with a wealth of emotion, "I love you," she whispered as the room darkened.

She felt his hand tighten over hers, "I love you," he rumbled as she drifted to sleep in his arms.

Millington fidgeted as he waited with Potter outside of Remus' office. They watched the bleary eyed man walk around the corner to his office. His mused hair had gone completely gray after the war, and his face was far more careworn these days. Harry looked at his friend and smiled, "G'morning Remus."

Remus Lupin nodded at the young man. He was exhausted. Teddy had kept them up last night with nightmares. Just as he had finally nodded off, it had been time to get up. Dora had taken him to daycare and then headed to work as well. This would be a rough day for both of them.

"Well, we heard from Boggleburr yesterday. After you left the flat in Knocturn Alley, Yaxley and Dolohov showed up at his place. He said they are headed to Coventry tomorrow in a Muggle automobile. That would suggest that they want to get out of the city, but why? It makes more sense that they would hide in the city where they would be harder to find. With all of the magic performed, it makes them harder to trace here. How you found their flat, Harry, is a mystery to me.

Harry shrugged, "Pure luck, sir." He ran his hands through his messy hair.

"Good work nonetheless. Well, we will have to wait until Boggleburr feels more comfortable to send a lengthy message with more details. We can only speculate as to what they are up to. I imagine they have a purpose. So, I want you and Millington on the road to Coventry this morning. I doubt they are on their way yet, so you have some time to find a spot, and , well, watch. I am afraid it is going to be a long, tedious day for the two of you. You are going to have to follow them, and I will let you know what I find out from Boggleburr as soon as I hear from him.

Millington was less than pleased. It had begun to rain last night and it had not let up. It was cold and miserable outside. He sighed. Well, there was nothing for it; they would be waiting in some crop of trees until the telltale sign that Yaxley and Dolohov were approaching. They would have to set up wards keyed to their magic in order to find the right automobile.

The two men headed to the apparition chamber and found themselves on a desolate patch of road. It was a gray rainy day and little droplets of moisture had begun to collect on their jackets and dampen their hair. They cast drying charms to rid themselves of the moisture and a light shielding charm to keep them from getting wet as they walked into the dense shrubbery that grew up along the road. Harry cast the wards that would be triggered by Yaxley and Dolohov's approach. Transfiguring a couple of large branches into chairs, the men sat and waited in the chill of the morning.

Edgington stoked the fire in the hearth and watched the two drowsy men as they sat up from the rather chilly floor. He had made a small breakfast for them, a couple eggs, toast, and some pumpkin juice. They made their way to the rickety table and made short work of the food.

"I'm going to walk over to Portswin's, the gentleman with the car, and see if he will loan it to me for the day. I can drop you two off in Coventry this evening. Edgington looked at the two men who regarded him gravely.

"Listen," Yaxley spat, "You tell anyone we are here and you're a dead man. One way or another I'll make you pay dearly." His mad eyes bore into the short plump man.

Edgington rubbed his nose on his sleeve and smiled wanly at Yaxley, "I've no doubt, but I have no intention of telling anyone that you are here."

Dolohov tapped Yaxley on the arm and the wily man glared at him, "We'll be out of here soon enough. Leave off him."

Edgington left abruptly; he was ready to be away from the two men if only for a little while. Portswin would have to deliver his message to Hawk. There was no way that he would be able to alert him using the diary until he returned. He waked swiftly down the dreary alley in the cold, leaden light of the morning. He could see his breath puffing out in front of him. "Well, he mused, he would likely garner some information one way or another. At least they could track the men's movements." He supposed.

Dolohov and Yaxley sat in the dark room as the fire flickered. Their eyes glittering as the wanton flames flickered. Dark shadows danced on the dingy walls. The air was thick with tension, and Dolohov met the other man's eyes steadily, "You know," he said, "If this chit is really a fairy, we could potentially hold a very powerful pawn in our hands. If we could get her to work for us, even under the Imperius, there is nothing that we could not achieve."

"The first thing I'd like to achieve is Snape at the other end of my Advada Kadava," Yaxley grinned maniacally.

Dolohov snorted contemptuously, "Let him rot in that moldering dungeon for all I care," a sadistic gleam lit his eyes, "you have no idea what it means to control the power of the Eldar. That wand she got from Ollivander's is only the beginning," he paused, "my friend." Sarcasm dripped from his deceptively calm voice. "She no more needs a wand than Lucius needs a cane to walk, and if we don't snatch her quick like before she realizes her power, our little plans will be for naught." The room was quiet save for the crackling of the dying fire.

"So, should we snatch her before we go to Morrigan?" Yaxley shifted in his chair.

"No," Dolohov said thickly, "Morrigan will tell us how to incapacitate her. We'll need to find a way around Snape. There is no way that we are getting into Hogwarts. We'll have to bide our time for now."

The two sat in silence for the next hour until Edgington bumbled into the room nervously. He had secured the car. The men quickly cast a Disillusionment spell and traversed several dark alleys until they made it to the Muggle streets of London, where Edgington had parked the car. Yaxley and Dolohov hunkered down into the back seat as Edgington pulled out onto the busy streets of London headed for Coventry as it began to rain in earnest.

"Minerva," Minerva McGonnagall jumped as Albus Dumbledore's voice emanated from her fireplace.

"Well, Albus, I suppose you have a good reason for interrupting my tea morning?" The perturbed woman glared at him as she seated herself on his plush sofa. She fidgeted with her robes uncomfortably, aware that this must be an urgent matter for him to be calling her so early in the morning.

"I'm sorry, Minerva, but we have a bit of a problem. It seems Yaxley and Dolohov have escaped from Azkaban. I've just had a letter from Mr. Potter this morning. He wanted me to pass the news on to Filius, which I have. However, I am more concerned with Severus. While I doubt they have discovered his new friend just yet, I have no doubt that he is in quite a bit of danger. I was going to . . . encourage him to return to Hogwarts immediately, with Miss. Hargrove."

Minerva gazed at her old friend and noticed that he seemed to be rather tired and weary this morning. He was always full of zeal; she had no idea where he got the energy. It was likely that he bounced off the walls because of all of the sugar he ingested. "Albus," she said quietly, "I think you are right, but Severus is not going to come quietly. He is going to resent your interference. He has finally found something to be happy about, some semblance of normalcy. I doubt that he wants that taken away just yet. If you begin pushing him again, you are only going to push him away. Though he loves you a great deal, I don't think he has forgiven you for the hoops that you made him jump through. You held a great deal over his head, and while things have turned out well, he hasn't likely forgotten the pain of all of those years spying for you." She knew that Albus would do as he pleased, and she really did not understand why he had dragged her into the fray. For, that's what this was going to turn into. She was about to witness Severus Snape come undone on Albus Dumbledore. What she supposed to act as some sort of referee in the matter? Perhaps Albus merely wanted her to be there to make sure he wasn't killed on the spot for interfering yet again.

"Well, Go on! Call him in, and let's get this matter over with." She huffed.

He chuckled and walked over to his fire to call the young wizard. He hoped that he would catch him in his study.

Severus had been sitting at his desk working on lesson plans when he heard Albus call him from the flu. He was waiting for Beth to wake up so that they could have breakfast together.

"Yes, Albus, what is it?" he said impatiently.

"Would you mind joining me for a moment? I have something that I would like to discuss."

"This couldn't be good," he thought as he organized the papers on his desk. He stood up and his robes unfurled briskly around him and he flooed to Albus office where he found a rather nervous looking Minerva. He quirked his eyebrow questioningly, and with a jerk of his head, he turned to Albus.

"Have a seat, my boy." His wrinkled hand gestured to the velvet covered chair across from his desk.

"I think I'll stand," Severus said tersely.

"Very well, I received a letter from Mr. Potter last night. Yaxley and Dolohov have escaped from Azkaban," blue eyes gazed at him over glossy half-moon spectacles.

Tapping his foot anxiously Severus huffed, "and I suppose you are up in arms thinking that I should remove myself straight away to Hogwarts?" He began to pace.

"Now Severus, we have reason to suspect that several Death Eaters have been meeting. They are surely organizing for some purpose. You cannot believe that you are not a target? You would be safer here…," he pleaded.

His robes swished violently as he turned to make his way back to the desk where he leaned his tall frame over the desk; one graceful, imposing finger jutted out from his gesturing right hand as he focused his ire on the elder wizard, "You want me here so you can watch over me like some mother hen. I've told you before; I don't need coddling. I was a death eater for Merlin's sake! I'm more than capable of looking after myself. . . "

"What about Miss Hargrove?" the older Wizard interrupted.

Severus gestured wildly, and several glass vials across the room burst. All three wizards turned to look at the mess that dripped down the shelf and onto the darkening wall coverings.

Severus straightened, perplexed.

"Severus," Dumbledore pierced him with a questioning gaze. His bushy brows had rizen on his furrowed forehead.

"I'm not sure," the younger man said hesitantly.

"Would you try something for me?" The older man asked as he stroked his beard. He cleared his desk and placed an empty china teacup in the center of the large wooden surface.

Severus quirked his brow. "Levitate it please," Dumbledore demanded. Severus reached for his wand. "Without your wand please," he bid as his hand steadily stroked the soft silver mass below his chin. Dark, glittering eyes looked into his steadily.

Severus gestured gracefully with his hand and the room filled with a tingling wave of power. Albus' brows disappeared beneath his hat. Everything in the room seemed to hover. All of the items on his desk levitated several inches above the surface. The desk itself was several inches off the floor, and he noticed that both he and Minerva were sitting in chairs that had left the floor as well, "that's enough."

Severus released the spell gently and everything settled into its natural position.

"Well, my boy, I would say that you have bonded with an Elemental."


	20. Chapter 20

JK Rowling owns the Harry Potter Universe and all the characters therein. I just like playing with her characters – especially Severus :o) Thank you to my patient readers and my lovely beta reader Ella. Please let me know if you are enjoying the story. I'm trying to ramp up the action. We are getting there. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 20

"What do you mean 'bonded with an Elemental'?" Severus' voice was deceptively calm, but beneath the surface raged a veritable ocean of frustration. The old man was always so cryptic.

"Ah, yes, well, you remember the Asian witch I told you about before?" he nodded.

"Yes, Fomorian, yes, what about her?" he rushed.

Dumbledore nodded knowingly, "Well, she and her partner shared their, rather exceptional, abilities. When I asked her about it, she told me that it was something that happened after they . . . consummated . . . their relationship. She was not aware of the extent of this bond, but she assumed it was something akin to the bindings that take place when one is wed. Only, they were not merely linked magically. They shared each other's abilities. Before bonding, as I have mentioned before, she had no talent for transfiguration. After, well, she was reasonably adept. Her partner was only fair at the skill, so it stands to reason that she wielded similar abilities. However, when they worked together, well, it was, as they say, magic. They seemed to finish each other's thoughts, and worked seamlessly. They were curse breakers, you see. They worked for the Great Eastern Ministry under Emperor of Magic Woo Tang, quite the formidable pair." The sage wizard nodded.

"And, I suppose that this," he paused, " surge of power has affected my ability to control my magic, correct?" He sat down heavily in the plush chair he had so effectively avoided earlier.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I suspect that both you and Beth will need to work diligently to control your magic for a while. Any emotional outbursts or stressors could cause either of you to react violently. Who knows what could happen, and if you were to both be put into an unnecessarily stressful situation, well, it could prove disastrous," his weathered hand fiddled with the delicate teacup.

"You mean lethal." The young Wizard's voice was low and deep as he pondered the ramifications of this bond. What would Beth say? He imagined that, if this was anything like most bonds in the Wizarding world, they were effectively linked for the rest of their lives. There was no divorce decree or magical ceremony that would sever the tie. He was perfectly content with the idea of such a bond between him and the lovely young woman he had come to care deeply for, but would she feel the same way? What would she say when she saw a different side of him. He had changed some over the summer, but when the term started, how would she feel about his teaching methods, his gruff persona?

Try as he might, he could not see that he would change the way he related to the students. She had seen some of his surliness, but would she turn from him when she saw how he related with his students, his peers? She was likely to be the only person with whom he had ever been gentle, save Lily. Was it too soon to make an offer for her hand?

The rain had continued to fall as the morning wore on. Hungry and frustrated, Harry and Millington sat under a shield charm that kept most of the rain off of them. They periodically cast warming charms as well. It was a long, bone wearying wait. Harry glanced at his pocket watch wondering if Genny had any of those wonderful biscuits left from tea yesterday. He was getting hungry. He heard the approach of a motor and quickly reinforced their disillusionment spell. They would have to be careful about casting continuously as they would become tired and ineffective if they used too much magic in an effort to keep warm and dry.

As the vehicle approached, both men hunkered down reflexively, though they could not otherwise be seen. Harry waited and tensed as the car approached his wards, and when they were triggered, he looked over to Millington, "Allright, we'll easily be able to follow them now that they've activated the tracker in the wards. Hopefully, it was subtle enough that they will not notice. Let's head back and alert Lupin, grab a bite to eat, and we'll track their progress. It's going to take a bit for them to get to Coventry. I figure we have three hours." The two men apparated back to the Ministry where Lupin was waiting for them.

"We've got a trace on them," Harry fell haphazardly on the overstuffed couch in Lupin's office, "We were planning on eating lunch and then tracking their progress throughout the afternoon."

Lupin nodded, "We've had some information in a different quarter, but I can't help but wonder if its related in some way."

"What's that?" Harry quearied.

"Lucius Malfoy, one of our operatives has passed on a really interesting bit of information. Lucius appeared at Borgin and Burkes this morning asking some really interesting questions about a reclusive wizard. His name is Ferris, and he is known for being well versed in very arcane magic. It seems odd that Malfoy should pursue this course of questioning as Dolohov and Yaxley appear on the scene. They are up to something, but until we hear from Boggleburr, we can only guess at what," he mused.

"Is there any way to get in touch with Ferris and gain his cooperation? Perhaps he would tell us just what Malfoy was seeking," said the young Wizard as he fidgeted on the couch.

"No one has heard from Ferris in over 50 years. It is unlikely that he is going to come out of hiding and even less likely that he would cooperate with the ministry. He probably views the ministry in a rather unflattering light, as we have placed restrictions on the pursuit of magical knowledge in certain fields. As he has not registered in years and is a known alchemist, well, it is quite likely that if he is alive he has a great deal to hide. These elders like to keep their secrets, secret." Lupin hedged.

"So, how do we find him?" Millington asked.

"I'm going to send a message to Dumbledore. It is quite likely that they ran in some of the same circles when they were younger. If anyone has a clue, it would be Dumbledore," Lupin asserted.

Curious, blue eyes peered out of the vegetation and soft morning light played off the silvery blond head that ducked low under the dew covered branches. Lucius held out his cane and lifted the dripping branch before walking under it. He brushed the moisture off of his waistcoat with a pale, well-manicured hand. He studied the old mansion in front of him. It was surrounded by overgrown weeds. Borgin had assured him that the old Wizard was holed-up not far from one of Lucius' properties, a hunting lodge in Whales. He had apparated to his lodge and changed into a more sturdy set of robes before heading out to confront Ferris. Let Yaxley and Dolohov deal with that maddened, old crone. They would waste their time and likely end up with their ears hexed off for good measure.

It was silly, really. Those old hags had always been venerated, but the knowledge they passed on was made up of ridiculous folklore. It was highly unlikely that the old woman had any real knowledge of fairies much less having dealt with one. Now, Ferris had, and he knew this for a fact. The old man was said to have negotiated a treaty between the Fairy Lord Ne'hal and his consort Emmelin and the wizard Grindelwald. Evidently in his persuit of the Eldar Wand, Grindelwald had heard of an object of great power held by the Eldar. Lucius had little knowledge of what had transpired, save that Ferris had been the instrument in settling the matter. He was the only known wizard to have dealings with the Fairy. It was rumored that his mother had taken a fairy lover after Ferris' father had died. The boy had spent part of his young life _in-between_. It was said that he knew many of their secrets, which he never shared. His time in the _other_ had left him with an unnaturally young countenance. It had also left him as mad as a hatter.

The last time Ferris was seen the man had to have been at least 100 years old. He had sold Borgin an old family heirloom, a necklace given to her by her lover. Borgin said that he still looked to be in his prime. Licius knew that the wily Wizard had likely set traps around his home. He took out his wand and tried to discern any hint of magic. He could detect nothing but the rustling of leaves.

Had he been much of a woodsman, Lucius might have detected the soft steps of something approaching. He might have been alerted by the soft rustling of the branches above him. However, even the most trained huntsman would have attributed these sounds to wildlife. For, Ferris had been trained by the Fairy, and he was as silent as a creeping cat. He sat observing the well dressed wizard from a perch only a few feet above the sterling blond head.

He watched carefully as the aloof wizard plowed on making enough noise to alert the entire forest of his presence. Lucius approached a tall oak and placed his next step in a pile of fallen leaves. In moments he found himself dangling by one entrapped ankle. Suspended upside down, his long hair waved like a white banner signaling a truce. Parley, it cried. The usually unruffled wizard flailed as his cloak billowed amidst the dew dampened grass. Ferris chuckled and jumped lightly from the tree. He crouched on the ground, his green garb almost camouflaging him entirely. Had he stayed crouched, Lucius might have thought his eyes tricked him.

Ferris stood and walked toward the trapped wizard. Lucius pointed his wand toward the rope that held him trapped and attempted to burn it into oblivion. However, had he known that fairy rope resisted attempts at destruction, he might have saved the wasted effort. "What is the meaning of this," red-faced he huffed at Ferris who merely cocked his head as if studying a rather strange specimen.

"Let me down this instance," Lucius commanded.

The dark haired wizard peered at the pompous man. His brown eyes glittered fiercely with intelligence and a bit of madness, "I'm not sure you fully realize the position in which you find yourself, sir" the soft voice replied.

"Perhaps, I will return when you appreciate the dynamics of the situation," he disappeared without sound into the brush from which he had just appeared. Lucius struggled futilely and released a volley of spells in an attempt to free himself from the unforgiving rope that held him prisoner.

"Very well!" He shouted. "I yield, sire, I yield!" Lucius bit his lip as he waited to hear some sort of answer. He felt the rope loosen around his ankle and he fell unceremoniously to the ground. He looked up to see a smiling face peering from a branch above him.

Beth sat up in the bed and felt the empty covers beside her. "Severus?" She sat up and noticed that the room was empty. She got up and dressed quickly. She sat on the edge of the bed waiting to no avail. "Well," she thought, " I may as well make myself useful." She headed into Severus' study where she began to work on various spells he had taught her.

"Wingardium leviosa," she intoned. And to her great surprise the quill she was trying to levitate lifted gently of the floor.

"Well," she mused, "that was certainly a lot easier than it was yesterday." She placed the quill on Severus' desk and spied the old book that Albus had given to him. She thumbed through the pages until she came to a spot marked with a ribbon. The chapter was entitled "The Early Ones."

"The Early Ones"

In the time before the Wizard's dominion, the world was ruled by the Early Ones, those whose powers were linked with that of the Earth. It is called Earth Magic or Elemental Magic. The Early Ones are composed of various races including the Fomorians, Nemedians,Fir Bolg, Tuatha de Danann, and Milesian. These beings warred for hundreds of years, when their races were young. With the coming of Wizardkind, they banded together and defended their lands from the onslaught of man who defeated them with iron. Finally overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, they left the mortal world to walk in-between. Timeless and ultimately more powerful, the races resigned to live in peace and have little dealings with troublesome humans.

Beth was absorbed in the text and read about the various societies that formed _in-between_ or as the author called it the _Summerlands_, an evergreen, lush plane that these beings ruled. The author suggested that it was rare that man or Wizard ever entered the _Summerlands_, but it was known to happen. The fairy often took human brides because of their fertility. These babes were not always raised in the _Sumerlands_. There were also those of the Old Ones that settled and found a place in the human world. Strong alliances were also built between early Wizards and the Old Ones through marriage. The children of these unions were often unusually gifted and long-lived.

Beth skimmed the text until she came upon a very interesting passage about the powers of these beings. The author spoke of a deep connection with the earth. The Old Ones and those of human and fairy unions were gifted with the ability to control nature including growth cycles, weather patterns, and matters of animal husbandry. This is why many were worshiped as gods and goddesses by non-magical humans. These powers were also linked with seismic events.

Beth was curled up on Severus' sofa absorbed in the book when a flash lit the fireplace and Severus stepped out. She jumped and the book tumbled to the floor. "Severus! Where were you?"

"Albus received some news this morning. Two Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban. He wants us to stay here for the rest of the summer and into the term." He ran his hands through his hair in an impatient gesture.

"And, how do you feel about this?" she asked.

"I don't like it. I don't intend to hide behind Albus Dumbledore's robes, and I don't think that it is necessary," he huffed.

Beth nodded and looked at him pensively, "But if they are free, why wouldn't they come after you? Wouldn't they view you as a traitor?" she queried.

"Undoubtedly, but I doubt that I am first on their list, particularly Yaxley and Dolohov. I am sure that they are going to regroup before they seek out any targets. I find it hard to believe that they would risk being caught just to do me in, but perhaps I am wrong. I will be more vigilant. However, after giving it more thought, I would feel safer if you were here. Given that we are unaware of the extent of your powers, it might be best if we begin working with several of the other professors on our training before the term begins. I want you to have a hold on your abilities before the children arrive," he said, looking at her questioningly. "But, how do you feel about that? I would not wish to force you into a situation with which you were uncomfortable." He waited for her reaction.

Beth looked from Severus to the fire that flickered brightly in the grate, "Severus, I wouldn't mind moving here, but there are matters that I need to see to before we do so. Would it be possible to spend a few days packing and getting things ready before we return here?" She smiled up at him.

"Of course," he paused, "I would feel more comfortable. . ." he hesitated, "that is, would you mind if I . . . stayed with you? I would rather not take any chances. If you like, I could even stay in a guest room. I just . . ."

She giggled playfully and rose from the sofa. Lithely, she padded across the room. He watched her as she looked up at him through lowered lashes. "Severus," she ran her hands over his lapels enjoying the feel of the soft, lightweight fabric under her fingers. He really looked magnificent in his robes. She tilted her chin and ran her fingers over his angular jaw. She could feel the soft rasp of his facial hair, which he neglected to shave this morning. "I would love to have you stay with me," she ran her thumb over his lower lip and purred, "and share my bed."

He grabbed her wrist and kissed her palm, flicking his tongue out to taste her. Their eyes were locked. Beth's lips parted with a pant, and he bent down to capture her lips in his. His hands slid down her supple hips and he pulled her flush against him.

A loud "POP!" made the couple jump. The two lovers looked at the offending personage.

Winki bowed her head bashfully, "Winkie is sorry Professor, but"

"Yes, Yes, YES," Severus bellowed, "we'll be in the Great Hall shortly." Severus huffed and gave Beth a longsuffering look.


	21. Chapter 21

JK Rowling owns the Harry Potter universe and all of the characters associated with it. I own Beth :o) Thanks again to my patient readers and my lovely beta Ella. Please leave feedback. I always enjoy hearing from my readers. Thank you again for reading!

Chapter 21

Harry nodded to Lupin as they headed out of his office. The older man would let them know what he heard back from Dumbledore about Ferris. He and Millington were headed out to the Junket to grab fish and chips before locating Yaxley and Dolohov. They apparated to the restaurant and placed their order. Eating as quickly as possible, the men gazed out of the windows into the gloomy weather beyond the windows. They used the loo before apparating to the countryside just outside of Coventry. Harry quickly ran a trace. The car was about an hour outside of town. They established wards along main thoroughfare that would alert them when the wizards arrived. The two Wizards apparated to a small Wizarding community in Coventry in which they found a small coffee shop to wait. The biscuits were good but the tea was only fair.

Harry sat up straight.

"What is it," Millington dusted crumbs from his robes.

"They are close, just hit the tracing wards I set earlier. Get out your broom." Harry raced out of the shop and Millington followed. The two pulled out their brooms and enlarged them. Casting Disillusionment charm, they jumped on their brooms and headed followed the main road until they located the car. They followed the Wizards to an abandoned lot. Landing behind a large waste bin, Harry shrunk his broom and readied his wand. Their Disillusionment charms had worn off. Harry cast Confundus as Yaxley exited the car and dove behind it. The spell ricochet off the window landing harmlessly nearby. Sparks filled the air. Yaxley glared at the now shattered window and watched as the pieces fell glittering in the back seat.

Millington pointed his wand and shouted "Stupify!" as Dolohov aimed at him from over the hood of the car. A red streak shot above the Death Eater's head before his own wand lit with a furious golden light. Millington was hit by his Flipendo; his body was flung into the chain link fence. He landed with a grunt as the rusted metal pressed into him cutting his face in several places. Blood dripped down from his forehead into his eyes, and when he finally landed on the ground he wiped his sodden cuff across his face in an effort to clear his vision.

Dazed, Millington stood, ducked behind the rusted bin, and collected himself just as Boggleburr drew his wand and aimed over the windshield, he was hit with Harry's Immobulus. The worried man blinked furiously and wondered if this would be the end of his spying career. The Auror's had to know that he was spying for them, but that did not save him from ricocheting spells. With a flick of his wand, Dolohove cast Finite Incantatum, and Boggleburr ducked behind the front wheel of the car where he breathed a sigh of relief.

As Herry shot out from behind the bin again to cast another spell, Yaxley shouted, "Incendio" and the bin was engulfed in flames. The heat from the quickly growing flames rolled over the Aurors as they hit the ground. Mud flew up around their weary bodies. The magic they were putting into their spells was tapping their energy. Both men were breathing hard. The rain had begun to pick up, but it was no match for the magical fire that was devouring the garbage bin. Harry ducked back behind the smoldering bin and shouted for Millington to get on his broom. They would have to fight from the air.

The two wizards mounted their brooms and had flown a couple of feet when Dolohov cast Reducto and the flaming bin was thrown into the chain link fence. The force of the blow sent heated metal and burning garbage in all directions. Harry glanced back and noticed a flaming lump on the brush of his broom. With a sweep of his foot, he knocked it off only to find that the cuff of his pants was on fire. He swore colorfully and flicked his wand; the fire went out. The Aurors banked their brooms and circled around to resume their attack. When Yaxley and Dolohov noticed that Potter and his sidekick were not yet firing spells, the two wizards jumped back into the car. They yelled at Boggleburr who was fumbling with the latch to the driver's side door. The bumbling man finally managed to open the door and start the car. He quickly grabbed the gear shift and threw the car into reverse. He slammed his wide foot down on the gas and the tires pealed out sending bits of gravel and mud flying across the lot. The tires finally caught traction and the car sped out onto the now quiet, empty lane. He put the car in drive and they took off down the street.

The car was headed towards a Muggle settlement, so the two wizards in full pursuit decided to hang back and disillusion themselves. In the car, the three men were desperately trying to think of a way out of their predicament. "They must have tracked us," Dolohov reasoned. We'll have to end the spell. He paused for a minute and closed his eyes. He muttered an incantation while Yaxley gazed furiously out of the rear window.

"Harry fucking Potter!" Yaxley yelled, "All right, Boggelburr. We are going to locate a crowded street, and you are going to let us off. Your part in this will be done, but don't think that you are getting off easily. I'll be back to question you under Veritaserum. So help me, if you alerted the ministry and brought Potter down on us, even unknowingly, I'll devise a slow and painful death full of wonderful new curses invented for just for you." His wild eyes glared into the rearview mirror meeting Boggleburr's wide-eyed gaze.

"I had nothing to do with this!" Boggleburr insisted. "What am I going to do, and how am I going to get out of this. They've spotted the car. I'll be in Azkaban before you can apparate to Bohemia or wherever and the two of you will be off scott free!" The plump man nearly lost control of the car during his rant.

"Easy!" Shouted Dolohov, "Watch where you're going or we'll all be worm fodder! Fool! You'll have a better chance of escaping once we are out of the car. I've ended the tracking spell. Transfigure the car and change the color. Do whatever you need to, to be unrecognizable. Head west. We are headed north. We'll likely travel on foot for a pace, until we've thrown Potter off our scent." Dolohov scanned the skies for Potter and Millington as this speech was delivered.

"Where … where are you headed?" asked Boggleburr as he looked back at the two men who were steadily studying the sky. "Do you want me to alert the others?"

Dolohov jerked forward bearing his steely gaze on Boggleburr with a deft precision, "The less you know the better I'd say; wouldn't you?" His voice was grating and low.

"Of course," Boggleburr returned.

Yaxley had watched the exchange, curiously engaged. "Well now, Boggleburr, why the question all the sudden?" The wily man pressed his wand to Boggleburr's throat. The plump wizard swallowed with a gulp.

"Listen, you don't have to tell me a thing. . . "

"I know," Yaxley's voice was low, next to his ear. Boggleburr felt the other man's spittle hit his cheek. He flinched.

Dolohov blinked, and placed his hand on Yaxley's shoulder pushing the other man back into the seat. He winked.

"Boggleburr, we are looking for some information on an old associate, Severus Snape." The dark man waited. He watched Boggleburr's eyes flit from the road to the rearview mirror where they met his curiously.

"What information would you be needing about Snape? Maybe I can do some digging on my own?" He offered.

"Would you now," Yaxley countered, but Boggleburr wisely kept silent.

Dolohov's gaze never left the pudgy man's beedy eyes, "Find out what you can about his little woman, and we'll be back in a couple of days to see what you've managed to dredge up, if anything. Prove yourself useful, and we'll let you in on our plans," he finished with a seething leer.

Boggleburr wiped the sweat off of his upper lip, "Well, here we are, gentlemen. It looks pretty crowded here. Do you want me to let you off?"

The two men scanned the sky and then the street where. It was a rougher part of town, and the street was busy with pedestrians buying food from vendors and shopping. Their rough appearance would hardly be remarkable here.

"Stop," Yaxley commanded, and the two men slipped out of the back seat. Boggleburr took off almost immediately. Harry and Millington had not noticed. They followed the car into a suburban neighborhood where they cornered him at a dead end. He got out of the car with his hands above his head.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How dare you treat me in such a manner!" Lucius scoffed. He stood stiffly and brushed leaves and debris from his robes.

The dark, handsome man smiled cunningly and whispered something under his breath. Lucius quickly found his hands bound by a nearby bush, whose limber branches had twined tightly about his wrists. The other branches were slowly snaking towards his ankles. He stepped back abruptly. "Perhaps I spoke too hastily," he amended meeting the other Wizard's unflinching gaze.

"Ferris, I presume?" Lucius questioned as one fine blond eyebrow rose on his forehead. The trembling in his hands belied the steely quality of his voice. "Why don't we start over. I'm Lucius Malfoy, and I come seeking your great knowledge, sir." He bowed dipping his head and, yet, keeping his eyes on Ferris as he made the gesture.

"That's the smartest thing you've done so far Mr. Malfoy. Never take your eyes off of your adversary. For, that is what we are, adversaries." Those curious brown eyes met his unflinchingly. "Seeking knowledge, you say. What if I choose not to share it? Were I in any way amenable to company, I would not have taken such trouble to keep others away. You may tell Mr. Borgin that I will be repaying this kindness. Now, leave." The mysterious wizard walked towards the house.

"Wait, please." Malfoy entreated, "I can pay whatever price you ask."

"My price is solitude." The Wizard spoke over his shoulder. He paused, the long, damp grass curled against his shins.

"I have a question. It concerns a girl I met, a half-fairy." Malfoy said in a rush.

"What do you want to know?" Ferris was still facing away from him, and he was now gazing at the earth.

"Do you swear to keep this between us?" Malfoy hedged.

"I will tell no one _you_ asked this of me," Ferris answered cagily.

Malfoy paused, uncertain of his meaning. He had no choice in the matter; it was either ask or leave without information. "How can I capture her?"

"Why would you want to do so?" the dark haired Wizard countered.

"That is my business," Malfoy snapped.

There was a long pause before Ferris answered, "Iron, but surely you knew this."

"But, what of her magic? Will it render her powerless? How shall I use iron?" He queried.

"Wizards once made nets. And, if she is full into her power, you will be lucky to have breath left in you once she is done with you. A Wizard is no match for a fairy, even a half-blood. You have not answered. What do you wish to do with her?" He slowly turned, and his dark eyes met Malfoy's glacer blue orbs.

"I wish to bring a soul over," he whispered.

"Then, you will need her blood, but I bid you, bring her to me first. I will tell you how it is done." He cocked his head as if assessing Malfoy. Then he grinned devilishly and slipped into the tall brush that had grown up around the fence. Malfoy neither heard nor saw where the wizard went.

XXXXXXXX

Remus Lupin slipped on his new Jacket. Working at the Ministry had brought many changes to his life. Once Severus had developed a potion that prevented his monthly transformation, his luck had changed greatly. Severus was waiting for his patent application to be approved, and he would likely yield a tidy sum from the sales of the potion. Werewolves everywhere would be very grateful. He certainly was. He was no longer held prisoner of his body, his blood. And, while there was still some trepidation about the spread of the disease, which Severus said was minimal due to the fact that it was a blood born pathogen, most of his fellow employees had welcomed him with open arms. He had ascended the ranks with great honors due to his efforts during the war. He could now support his family quite well and afford luxuries that had long been denied him.

He rubbed his red-rimed eyes and folded the note that Albus had sent him.

"Remus," it read, "come and see me at your earliest convenience. Use the floo. Albus"

Evidently, Albus had connected the floo. Lupin smiled. It was usually necessary to apply for permits to connect and disconnect grates from the floo network, unless you were Albus Dumbledore.

Lupin grabbed a pinch of powder and stepped into the green flames. He landed in Dumbledore's fireplace and vanished the ash that had settled on his new jacket and gray slacks. He smiled as Dumbledore stood to welcome him.

"Remus!" he strode forward and embraced the younger man, "how good to see you," he chuckled merrily.

"And you, Albus. I hope you will be able to answer a few questions for me," he carefully gauged Dumbledore's actions, quickly realizing that the old wizard was inscrutable.

The older man nodded, "I hear you are having a problem with a few escaped Death Eaters. How is the search going?" he asked.

"Harry and Millington have gone after them. I am waiting to hear back very soon. With any luck, they will be in custody this evening," he smiled boyishly.

"Well, let us hope so. Now, why is it that you seek Ferris?" he had resumed his seat behind his desk. He was at once both approachable and imposing. He had a way of tilting his chin and peering over his glasses that made one feel like a self-conscious school boy caught in the midst of a prank.

"Well, we hear that Malfoy is seeking him, but we have no idea why," Lupin puzzled.

"Humph," Dumbledore responded as he gazed unwaveringly at Lupin. He was absolutely certain that the old Wizard knew exactly what was going on but had no intention of letting him in on it.

"Would you have any idea how we could get in touch with Ferris?" Lupin asked.

"Well, yes and no," he chuckled as he stroked his long silver beard. "You see, Ferris can only be found if he wants to be found, and there is always a price. He deals as do the fairy. You must be careful of what you say and what you promise. Sometimes, the price is greater than the reward. He always walked a fine line between trickster and villain. I have never had dealings with him myself, but it was always my impression that the fellow was far too clever for his own good," he gazed at Lupin seriously, his blue eyes seemed to look through the younger man. "It is quite likely that he will come to us now. I strongly suggest that you let it happen, rather than seek him out. Things like this have a way of settling themselves," he smile mischievously. "Now, I believe it's time for tea!" With a clap of his hands a lovely tray appeared with black oolong tea and a platter of delicious looking biscuits.

Remus knew that it was best to follow Dumbledore's advice; though, it got him no further in answering any of his questions. But, this was typical with Dumbledore. Things always had a way of revealing themselves in the proper time. Perhaps Harry, Millington, or Boggleburr would turn up some interesting information.

XXXXXXXXXX

Beth and Severus had eaten breakfast quickly and returned to his quarters where he told her what he had discovered in Dumbledore's office. She was quite surprised to find out that they now shared each other's abilities. She knew that Severus was a powerful Wizard; she had felt it in her bones. It scared her more than a little to hear that not only did she share his abilities, but her own powers, which they now shared, surpassed his in strength.

Tentatively, he discussed the nature of their bond, "Beth, the last time we; when we made love. Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"Yes, it was unlike anything I've ever imagined. I suppose that was when we . . . blended our magic?" she asked.

"Yes, but as I understand it, we bonded that night," he tried to gauge her reaction. He realized that she likely had no notion of what he meant when he used the term 'bonded.'

He drew in a deep breath before continuing. He drew her close to him on the sofa. "Typically, bonding happens when two people are joined in a magical ceremony, like marriage. There are other bonds, like those of godparents, but generally the strongest bonds are intimate bonds. Unlike agreements, bonds cannot be severed once they are made. These bonds are vows, such as an Unbreakable Vow. It is growing less common for wizards to incorporate such vows in to ceremonies, like weddings, because they are eternal bonds. Even if they live separate lives, the two bonded individuals are always linked. They share an emotional and physical connection that rivals any other that two people could ever have. But, you see how this could be problematic?" He was worried about how she would respond knowing that they now shared such a bond.

Beth became very quiet and began fidgeting with her fingernails. "And, it bothers you to share such a bond with me?" She asked quietly. Beth was trembling and fighting to hold back tears. She assumed that Severus was upset that he was now trapped, stuck with her. What if he never wanted to see her again? She assumed that, with this bond, she would always know how he felt and would always long for him. She looked up at him, glassy eyed.

His warm hand cupped her jaw, and he gazed lovingly into her eyes. "You misunderstand me. I am not the one that has been imposed upon by this bond. Not only have I been joined to the most beautiful woman I have ever met, but we now share a very intimate link. I am honored to share such a bond with you, but I can hardly be unaware of how little I disserve you or such a gift as this," his glittering eyes delving into hers.

She dashed the tears away from her cheeks and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Severus," her voice was husky with need and she caressed his lips with her rosy, lush buds. "I can think of nothing that I would want more than to be joined with you, forever." Her lips quested lightly over his.

Severus felt the air leave his lungs, and he crushed her to him. His lips surged against hers bruising and demanding. His tongue danced with hers reflecting a wanton need. She moaned lightly as his hands traced up her side and his thumb followed the curve of her breast. She arched against him pressing her soft flesh against his blunt angles. He felt her nipples pebble as he ran his hand over her breast.

"Severus," she gasped as she pulled away.

He knew she wanted to continue in the bedroom. He scooped her up in his arms and marched single mindedly to the bed and deposited her amidst the covers. He began divesting himself of his clothing. His robe swirled to the floor creating an ink puddle at his feet. Beth sat up and began helping him with the many buttons of his frock coat. He reached around her unzipping her dress. His lips once again claimed hers.

Soon they were both naked and panting with need. Severus buried his head in her neck and smelled her musk. The smell of her drove him wild. He caught hints of it anytime she was near him, but he loved to smell her skin, lick it and taste the essence that was uniquely _her. _Her body was so soft and silken beneath him. She brought her leg around his and curled the supple appendage around his. It was like being caressed by warm velvet. He felt all of the blood in his body rush between his legs. He looked down at her and reveled in the fact that this beauty wanted him, desired him.

He sought her mouth again with a fierce need and nearly came undone as she bucked her moist heat against his throbbing manhood. Her nails drug over the skin of his back and threaded into his hair raking over his scalp. He felt his flat nipples stiffen. She pulled away from his kiss, pushed up on his shoulders, and she latched onto his nipple. His felt his cock throb and his balls tighten with need.

Severus thrust his knee between her legs and forced them apart. He positioned his broad head between her slick lips and plunged in without warning. Beth threw her head back and gasped, and he paused, worried that he had hurt her.

"Severus," she begged, "please."

He drove into her relentlessly, pausing only when he felt like he was on the verge. He pulled out, his cock drenched with her juices. He pulled up on her thighs spreading her legs, and bending down, his lips found her center and he lapped up her sweet dew. He flicked his tongue over her pink petals, parting them delicately. He thrust his tongue within her enjoying the way she bucked against him moaning. He reveled in her flavor. Drawing out his tongue, he moved his assault to the little bud nestled above her lips. He teased it and flicked it until she grasped the covers and screamed his name.

Drawing away from her quickly, he once again positioned himself between her lips and teased the slick slit with his head.

"Please, please, please, Severus." She rocked her hips trying to draw him within her.

He looked down at her with hooded eyes filled with desire. Black, fathomless eyes met her golden gaze. He felt her need, like an endless whirlpool pulling him under. She was Charybdis pulling him down into her depths. He heard her beckon him to the little death and answered with a growl. He plunged into her with unbridled need. She met his thrusts with her own, and they rode the tidal wave of their desire until they succumbed to the force of it. He felt her muscles tighten around him, wave after wave bringing him to climax. He threw his head back with her name on his lips as he emptied within her.

Their sweat slicked bodies entwined, and he drew her on top of him as he gently claimed her lips once again. She gasped as he pinched her nipples lightly, she felt a little jolt in her sex and pushed the slick heat against his thigh. He caressed her flushed body as she lay bonelessly against him gazing into his eyes. He marveled at the beautiful gift he had been given, the love of this woman.


	22. Chapter 22

JK Rowling owns the HP universe. I just play with it. I want to let my readers know this chapter may have a few more errors than usual. My Beta is out of the country! I'll update it later, but I wanted to make the chapter available. Please leave a review! Thank you again for reading!

Chapter 22

Yaxley and Dolohov made their way through the dense crowd only garnering a few interested looks. Their robes were ragged and they looked rather unkempt. However, most of the pedestrians they passed made a point to avoid meeting their eyes. The two wizards did not know it, but there was a small Wizarding community nearby. It was a very quiet, nefarious gathering of wizards who dealt in black market goods, both Wizard and Muggle. The destitute in the Muggle community were actually quite familiar with their strange style of dress and took great pains to avoid members of, what they considered, the fanatical group.

The two men slowed as they ducked into a dark, waste strewn alley. It smelled of mold and garbage. They paused until their breathing was steady. Then they made their way around the corner into a Muggle grocery. They cast Disillusionment charms over themselves as they passed through the sliding glass doors. Ravenous, they headed to the back of the store where they filled their pockets with sandwiches and bottled water. The white tiles of the grocery glared in the fluorescent light.

"Let's get the bloody hell out of here," Yaxley growled.

Heading out of the store, they gave a wide birth to the Muggles they passed. However, they failed to avoid the notice of one witch who had seen them enter the store as she was checking out. She had watched as they cast the Disillusionment spell. She ran a worried hand over her puckered forehead and into her pink hair. Nymphadora Lupin was unsure what to do. She looked at Teddy who sat patiently in the grocery cart as she paid for her purchase. Dora had taken the day off to visit her aunt who lived in Coventry. She had to pick a few things up from the grocery, and this was the store that her aunt had suggested. Quickly pushed the buggy outside, she had intending on reducing the bags and apparating home.

She cast her own Disillusionment spell and decided to cast a staple spell that most aurors use when tracking criminals. With a flick of her wand, she set the tracking spell, which would activate when the men left the store. A silver shape issued from her wand, her Patronus carried a message that would alert Remus that she had spotted Yaxley and Dolohov and set up a tracing spell.

Dora did not see the Wizards exit the grocery nor did they see her. She did, however, hear the telltale pop that signaled the two had apparated to some other destination.

Yaxley had grabbed onto Dolohov as he apparated them to his mother's home. The small house sat on a weed covered lot. The rickety fence that surrounded the building creaked as the wind buffeted it.

"Come," Dolohov motioned for Yaxley to follow him. "Let's see if my mother is home."

Dolohov approached the gate cautiously and disabled the wards. He felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck as he passed through the gate. An old woman with iron gray hair appeared at the door. Her slack face peered out of the gloom of the house, and when she spotted her son her eyes became large. She beckoned them into the house quickly and glanced down the lane to see if anyone had noticed their arrival. There were only two houses remotely close to hers. The view was primarily obscured by the thicket of scrubby trees that surrounded her house on either side.

She herded them into the kitchen where she began to prepare tea. Dolohov came up behind the old woman, and she turned and looked at him with a worried expression. She grabbed his face with a fierce grip and pulled him to her.

"I thought I'd never see you again, my boy," her voice hitched, "they all gave you up for good. Even Elvie went and married another Wizard after they sent you to Azkaban." Her hands were shaking with emotion, but she did not cry.

Dolohov pulled back from her embrace, his dark eyes glittered. His chestnut hair, now streaked with silver, fell over his lined forehead. Sunken eyes peered out at her, "I'm not going back." He paused, "Now, we are here for a purpose. I need to see Morrigan."

The older woman nodded, "Can you tell me what this is about? Perhaps I can help."

Dolohov gave his mother a stern look, "It's about a fairy," he gazed at her speculatively.

"Oh, well, then," she said as she wiped her hands on her crisp white apron. "She still lives down past the old mill. Will you have some tea before you go?"

"No, I want to get this over with. We'll be back as soon as we have finished our business with the old Witch." He strode briskly out of the house and Yaxley followed him. Dolohov held out his arm for Yaxley to apparate with him. They quickly appeared outside of a desolate looking hovel. The sod roof was overgrown with moss, and the place had a damp, unhealthy smell.

"Morrigan!" Dolohov shouted. There was no answer. He approached slowly and Yaxley hung back.

"Morrigan, " Dolohov whispered as he walked up the path. There were no wards. She never used them. It was not because she was neglectful, but it was well known that one did not want to incite her wrath.

"Morrigan," Dolohove chanted as he reached her door. Yaxley had decided to wait outside. He wore a sneer on his pale face. There was a distinct smell emanating from the house. It smelled of rot and unwashed body, and he wanted to stay as far away from it as possible.

"Come, Antonin, tell the one with you to come as well." she croaked. "I've been expecting you."

The two men entered the dimly lit room. The old crone sat on several old pillows stacked on the floor. She sat close to the fire. Before her lay a silver tray littered with water and herbs. She had been scrying.

"Sit." She commanded in a gravelly voice.

They sat across from her, and Yaxley studied her intently. She wore a heavy hooded cloak of homespun. What was left of her grey hair trailed down her shoulders. She was slumped forward. Blurry gray eyes peered out of her cavernous sockets. She smiled showing a snaggled grin. She laughed, and it sounded like the rough caw of a raven.

"Well, are you going to tell me or do you want to test me? Most want to test me. You should know better Antonin, but I'll indulge you. I saw her, you know. I saw her and the dark wizard as they coalesced. My mirror nearly cracked," she cackled again, "wish I had the stamina of you young people. It's been a long time. An old woman should not be tempted with such lusty sights." She gazed sharply at Dolohov and cocked her head, "But, I'm not sure what you want with her. Do you want her for your own, a love potion perhaps? Tell me," she coaxed hoarsely. She reached forward to stroke his thigh.

Dolohov leaned forward, "Is it true that Fairies can walk between worlds?"

She studied him carefully for a moment before answering, "yes," she waited patiently for his next question.

"And, can they open the door to ones that have crossed over?" he asked.

"Aye, they can bring over the spirits of the once living," She chuckled, "Who do you want brought over and why?" her voice was harsh and low. "Bringing one back is a nasty business. What would you do with them once you got them here?" she leaned forward glaring into his eyes.

"I want to bring the Dark Lord back," he hissed.

The old woman laughed madly until she began to cough deeply. When she had settled down she glared at them. "Madness," she muttered. Her tongue darted about fiddling with her gapped teeth. She crooked one of her bush eyebrows and asked, "why on earth would you want him back here? A load of trouble, that one. If you are intent on killing Muggles, then rally around another. You could call them to you Antonin. I could help you. SHE could help you. If you had the help of that one, you could do whatever you like. Ministry be damned." She grunted as she resettled herself closer to the fire.

"You dare make light of the Dark Lord? He was the most powerful Wizard of our age," he thundered.

"Clearly," she muttered, "he was not." She paused, "However, if this is what you are set on doing, then you will need the Leabhar dar Marbh, The Book of the Dead, and no, I do not have it." She looked at him speculatively, " You're not going to be able to capture her, you know. This is not some witless witch you are after Antonin; this is one who wields elemental power" She paused and glared at him, "Look at you. You have no appreciation for the old knowledge. You nod as if you understand."

She leaned forward, "Listen boy," she whispered, "She could wipe the floor with you with only a thought."

"Lucius saw her," Dolohove parried, "getting her first wand. She was with Severus Snape, and he purchased it for her. That tells me that she's new to her magic." Dolohov grinned.

"Well," Morrigan countered, "then she'll have been iron bound. You'd better get to her quickly. The iron bound are not to be trifled with. She'll not have control of it, but she'll be unearthly powerful. The only way to subdue her will be with an iron net. But take note, the wizard will not be subdued by iron. I saw it in the mirror, they bonded. While she can be captured with iron, he cannot. What flows through her flows through him also, and you'll not capture her if she is protected by a powerful Wizard wielding fey magic." She shook her head and her jowls flapped. "You'll be lucky if he hasn't got a grip on the power yet, but it could still prove fatal for the both of you. Unchecked, fey magic is like a wildfire and burns with emotion. You had best catch her alone, and you should be quick about it," she began to cough again and scooted even closer to the fire.

"What of this book," Yaxley asked. "Where can we find it?"

"I don't know, but it is your only hope of completing the ritual. If you bring her here and you have the book, I can help you, but this is something I have never done. I could not even begin to tell you how to go about it. However, the nature of the exchange suggests that you will need to kill her for her blood. It stands to reason that you would have to exchange one life for another, but as I have said, I have never seen such a ceremony. The Old Ones keep their ways to themselves. I have only asked small favors of them, and it has been decades since I've seen them in these parts."

"What about a body," Yaxley seemed to pull this thought out of the air. "If we bring him back, won't we need a body?"

"A body would do, but a fetus would be better. I've heard of souls being transferred into other bodies. Again, we would need the book," she pierced them with her rheumy eyes. "And for performing this service, I require the book as payment."

Dolohov nodded and suspected he had gotten all of the information she had available. He thought about obliviating her, but it was unlikely that anyone would get information from her unless she wished it. "Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us," he smiled.

The old woman nodded and gestured for them to leave, "go now, and the next time you come bring the girl."

The two men left the warm hovel wondering how she could stand the heat or sit so close to the fire. They were glad to be in the fresh air and away from the stench that hung about her. Dolohove mused, "they would be lucky if she was still alive and had the strength to help them perform the ceremony."

XXXXXXXXX

Harry and Millington landed by the car. They used a binding spell to fasten Boggleburr's hands together and put him in the back seat. Millington got behind the wheel and drove them back to the Wizard settlement where they reduced the car and apparated back to the Ministry. They went to Lupin's office and spoke with his secretary. He was still meeting with Dumbledore.

They decided to take his floo to Hogwarts, and within a matter of minutes, they were in Dumbledore's office. The elderly wizard smiled, "Harry, my boy, what a pleasure to see you!"

The two men hugged while Millington and Boggleburr stared in awe at Dumbledore.

"Well, now, have a seat," he transfigured several chairs and poured the men some tea. Boggleburr was acutely aware of his ragged appearance and fidgeted in the ornate chair.

"We just got back," Harry looked at Lupin. We had it out with Yaxley and Dolohov, and they were able to escape. I can't get another trace on them; so, unfortunately, we don't know where they went. We just picked up Boggleburr, and he had something interesting to tell us.

All four Wizards looked at Boggleburr, whose hands began to tremble. His cup clanked against his saucer.

"Well, unfortunately I have little information for you. It seems they are headed north, but they were vague about exactly where they were headed. They did, however, express an interest in Professor Snape, particularly his lady friend. They asked me to dig up as much information on her as I could.

"I was afraid of that," Dumbledore began to stroke his beard as he stared into the fire in his hearth.

"Is there something you can tell us about her Headmaster?" Lupin asked.

"Well, she is a lovely young woman from America. She arrived here this summer and seems to have won over Severus completely. He is quite smitten." Dumbledore paused, giving Lupin a knowing look.

Remus Lupin was no fool. There was more to this than Dmbledore was letting on. This girl was not merely Severus' new girlfriend. There was something left unsaid. Didn't the old man realize he couldn't protect her, help her, if he didn't know what was going on? He sighed. There was no way to push Dumbledore; he would tell them in his own time. Perhaps he could speak with Severus. He would owl him when he returned to the Ministry.

The men sat in silence for a moment until a silver shape whirred through the window. The silvery wolf strode up to Lupin and delivered its message. The men were startled to learn that Nymphadora had spotted the Death Eaters at a Muggle grocery.

Harry and Millington looked at Boggleburr, "all right," Harry said, "we are going to deliver you to Hawk. You'll have to provide him with a thorough report. We need to locate Yaxley and Dolohov using Dora's trace before we lose track of them."

The three men flooed back to the Ministry leaving Lupin and Dumbledore alone again.

"We must protect her, at all costs," Dumbledore spoke quietly. His aged voice seemed to stress the gravity of the situation. He gazed at the man over the rim of his glasses. Lupin tried to read between the lines. Dmbledore had been very vague, as usual. And, now he was suppose to connect the dots or was he.

"Well, I had best be going. I am going to have to deliver a report as well. Thank you again for your sage advice. You will let me know if you think of anything else I should know?" he gave Dumbledore a hopeful look.

"Of course," he smiled placidly.

Dumbledore watched as Remus left. He hoped he would not connect Ferris' knowledge of the Fairy with the Death Eater's pursuit of Beth, but he could not be certain. He almost feared to speak it. He was pretty sure of their intent, but he preferred to watch things unfold. There was no need to draw the eye of the Ministry. If they discovered Beth before she was able to control her power, there was no knowing what they might do to her. Remus might unwittingly reveal something to some of the less than savory characters he worked for.

XXXXX

Beth gazed at Severus as he snored softly. They had both relaxed in the afterglow of their lovemaking. She had listened as his breathing slowed and he began to snore softly. She smiled and cuddled into him burrowing close and curling her leg over his. She ran her fingers lightly over his sparse chest hair. It was dark and silken. She loved his body. He was so long and lean. She ran her hand down his chest to his stomach. She heard his breathing change and his snoring quieted.

"Mmm," he groaned and kissed the top of her head as he pulled her closer. "We should head back today and pack your things."

Beth nodded, "I know. I can't believe how much has changed in just a matter of a few days." She looked up at him.

Severus gazed at the woman in his arms. He was just as amazed at the changes that had taken place. He would have been content to spend the rest of his life with the sweet Muggle, but finding out that she was not only able to do magic but wielded powerful elemental magic was quite exciting. He looked forward to teaching her how to use her magic and exploring their powers together. He was more than a little excited about learning to use his own powers. He wondered what sort of effect they would have on his potion making. He was sure that it would lead to many new discoveries.

"Much has changed, and we need to move quickly." He smiled at her as she slipped out of bed.

While they were preparing to leave, they heard a knock at the door. It was Dumbledore. The old wizard walked hesitantly into Severus' study, "I have news." They regarded him warily.

"It seems that Dolohov and Yaxley have asked our ministry spy to bring them information on Beth. Lucius is asking questions about Ferris, and I fear that they have something rather nefarious planned."

Severus ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture, "Where are they now?"

"Potter and a young Auror named Millington encountered them in Coventry. They lost track of them, but while I was conversing with Lupin, Nymphadora's Patronus arrived. She spotted them in a muggle grocery and placed a trace on them. Potter and Millington left to follow the lead. We will need to feed some information to Boggleburr, the ministry spy in order to keep their confidence."

"Fuck," Severus exclaimed. "Give us a day to clear out her home. We will return to Hogwarts tomorrow. They can claim to place Boggleburr in a holding cell for 24 hours. That should buy us some time. Neither Yaxley or Dolohov know where I live, but Lucius does."

"Severus," Dumbledore hesitated, "I'm afraid they know she's of the Old Blood. Lucius has been asking questions about Ferris, and if Yaxley and Dolohov are making other inquiries, I'm afraid they are planning something. We have no way of knowing what it us." He suddenly looked very old and tired.

"We'll have to contact Ferris"

Dumbledore chuckled, "I doubt that. I fully expect to hear from him very soon. It is likely that he felt her as soon as she came into her power. He is a recluse, but he is quite meddlesome. I would be willing to bet that he knows she is at Hogwarts." He began stroking his beard softly.

"How?" Severus asked as he began to pace. "How could he possibly know where she is?"

"He is attuned to the Old Magic. He can sense it just as you could feel the Dark Lord calling through his mark. Ferris lives between worlds, and he is one of the few Wizards who can travel back and forth. He will feel the pull of her magic."

"But," Severus paused, "whose side is he on. Will he help them?"

"I have no way of knowing." The old Wizard shook his head, "Ferris is likely on his own side. He will act according to what benefits his own needs and desires. We can only hope that he chooses to protect her." Dumbledore turned to leave, "Severus," he said as he turned to look at the younger man, "Please hurry back to Hogwarts."


	23. Chapter 23

I'm sorry that it has taken so long to update. I hope to have some time to write a bit over my Thanksgiving break! However, I hope you are all enjoying the ride. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Also… as usual, JK Rowling owns the HP Universe! Please leave some feedback, and thank you to my lovely Beta reader Ella! Check out her story Once Upon A Dream by the Princes Phoenix. It is in my favorites!

Chapter 23

Severus stood silently in the middle of his bedroom staring at Beth. Dumbledore's revelation that Yaxley and Dolohov were seeking information about Beth had momentarily stunned him. He ran his hand over his face and through his ruffled hair."We need to get the rest of your things and come back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. We will settle everything when we get back." Severus watched the emotions flash over her face. Confusion. Fear.

"All right," Beth replied. He watched her run a shaky hand over the front of her blouse and straightened her skirt. She pulled her hair back hastily and looped a band around it.

They walked swiftly through Hogwarts and out of the gates. She held onto him tightly as they apparated to her house.

"Take only what is necessary. You will not need any of your kitchen implements. I will place wards around your home to ward off intruders, and we can send an owl to retrieve any mail that you receive in the future. "

Beth wasn't sure where to start. She grabbed her laptop and hastily sent off a few emails canceling her position at the university. She then set about packing most of her wardrobe in a suitcase. Severus had been packing some of her books when he walked into her bedroom to view her progress. "Here," he looked skeptically at the suitcase she was stuffing full of her clothing. With a few taps of his wand, the clothes seemed to fall into an empty chasm that had opened up in the bottom of the suitcase. Beth picked it up and gazed at the bottom, which had not changed since she picked it up. She sat it down and looked at him bewildered. She tentatively reached her hand in and groped for a moment before pulling a pair of lacy underwear out of the bag. Severus arched a brow at her and smirked.

"It's like Mary Poppin's carpet bag," she laughed nervously.

"Who?" Severus smirked at her. "Who the devil is Mary Poppins.

"I'll bring the DVD," she giggled when he arched another derisive brow at her.

Deeming it best to resist replying, he turned to continue packing in her study. Several hours later they had packed most of her books and necessary items. Exhausted, Beth decided to take a shower and relax. She started the water and began to undress as the mirror began to fog over with condensation. She stepped gingerly into the warm shower reveling in the feel of the hot water over her sore muscles. She lathered her hair and turned to rinse it in the stream of water. She yelped when she opened her eyes to discover a pale chest lightly covered in a dusting of black hair.

Severus chuckled huskily as he watched the shock in her eyes fade to something more sensual. He watched as her lips parted wantonly and she slid her warm, wet body against his. Her hands traced wet patterns across his skin finally linking around his neck. Slowly, he placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her against the slick, tiled walls. He groaned as she pivoted her hips gliding her slick curls against his shaft. Arching against him, she lightly brushed a teasing kiss on his lips.

The warm water ran down their bodies as their lips molded together. He teased her with his tongue until she opened her mouth to let him dive into her mimicking his thrusting hips as they grinded against one another. As their lips parted, they gasped heaving in gulps of air. Severus shivered as her hard nipples grazed his chest with each breath she took. He plundered her lips again and slid his hand down her body to tease her swollen clit. He chucked as she jerked her hips thrusting her slick lips against his fingers.

"Patience," he chided. He laughed huskily as she whimpered against his neck.

Severus took his time gliding his thumb around her hard little bud and reveled in the rhythm of her hips. Her warm breath blew against his neck in quick, little pants. She arched against him and dug her nails in his shoulder as she sought her own pleasure.

He leaned near her ear; his hot breath made her shiver, "Come for me, love."

His fingers flicked over the sensitive bundle of nerves driving her to fulfillment, and he slipped his fingers inside her and felt her muscles contract as she began screaming with her pleasure. Her knees buckled, and he caught her with his left arm pinning her to the wall as she bucked against his fingers. He watched the ecstasy transform her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were closed, and her ripe lips were parted wantonly.

With a groan, his mouth descended on hers. He withdrew his fingers from her slick sheath and pulled back to look in her eyes. He felt her breath catch as he drew his fingers in his mouth enjoying the flavor of her sweet dew.

He slid his hands to her hips picking her up and roughly thrust within her. She gasped as his thick shaft lunged within her. She could feel her body burning wantonly as he began to thrust slowly within her. He drew his length out of her reveling in the feel of her slick passage before slowly plunging back inside of her. Beth mewled as he glided inside of her; her nails grazed his neck and her fingers slid within the silky, wet strands of his hair. Moist lips traced a scalding path up her neck, and he lightly nibbled on her earlobe, "you feel exquisite," his deep voice sent shivers down her body and the feeling seemed to pool in her womanhood as his thrusts increased in vigor.

"Please," she begged as she trust her hips seeking to draw him deeper into her. Beth's breath hitched, and she tightened her legs around his trim hips. She felt his hands under her bottom drawing her closer, harder to him as he began to drive into her with abandon. He could feel her wet passage tremble as she neared fulfillment. His head tipped back as his back arched; teeth clenched, he growled as her slick walls began to close around him. He held on to a slim vestige of control until she screamed his name; he could wait no longer. His body merged with hers, and he yelled hoarsely as she drew out his pleasure with the tightening of her passage. He slammed into her body emptying his hot seed inside of her. He reveled in the trembling of her body around him, and he leaned forward to possess her mouth. Thrusting his tongue between her swollen lips, he devoured her whimpers while her hips rocked against his as her body stilled its quaking. They were both still breathing rapidly when he finally pulled out of her and set her feet gently on the floor of the tub. They tenderly washed one another, and he wrapped her in a soft towel when they were done.

They dressed for bed, and insured that everything was ready to go. With a tap of his wand, Severus sent her bags to the retrieval point at Hogwarts. He sent his Patronus to Winkie insuring that she would collect Beth's belongings and bring them to his rooms. He had sent the contents of her study ahead earlier that evening. By the time they returned to Hogwarts, his chambers would be packed with her boxes and belongings. He knew better than to have Winkie unpack her things in his rooms. He was sure that Dumbledore was going to force her to maintain her own chambers. He would just have to connect her floo to his, and they would maintain the illusion that she kept to her own chambers. However, he had no intention of sleeping without settled down in her bed for the evening, and he checked his wards before pulling her to him and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The afternoon was waning by the time Yaxley and Dolohov returned to his mother's home. They sat in the kitchen and ate quietly. "We are going to have to work quickly if we want to capture her," Dolohov muttered. Yaxley watched him quietly, pensively and said nothing.

"We need to find a net, and our best bet is going to be Borgin and Burks," his dark eyes bored into Yaxley. "If she is as powerful as Morrigan has said then we are going to need to capture her before she and Severus understand the extent of their Strength. I'm not sure how this binding has affected them, but we will need to move tonight. Lucius knows where Snape's home is located. We need to keep an eye on it and at least check it out. I want you to contact Lucius while I visit Borgin and Burks this afternoon. Meet me there after you have spoken with Lucius, and we will decide what must be done."

Dolohov kissed his mother before he apparated back to Wizarding London. It was a cool afternoon, but the clouds had cleared and the afternoon sun hung brightly in the sky. He made his way to Borgin and Burks hoping to find what he needed. He walked into the dark store, and a bell tinkled as the door shuddered closed.

"How can I help you?," Borgin smiled knowingly.

"I am in need of an iron net," Dolohov muttered.

The old wizened face of Borgin peered at him from behind the dusty counter. He rubbed his hands on his faded robes and leaned forward. Chuckling darkly he mused, "Catching fairies are we?" He slid his teeth over his lower lip, "I would have thought the you would have better things to do with your time than frolicking out in the glens catching pretty fairy children. Is this how you are serving the cause?"

Dolohov knew that Borgin was having fun at his expense, but he was also aware of the fact that he would not get what he was looking for if he angered the elderly Wizard. He was a confirmed Death Eater, and he was as close to the inner circle as you could get without wearing the mark. Voldemort had trusted both Borgin and Burk and had kept them well funded, even during the darkest days of the first war.

The younger wizard smirked, "Oh, yes. I'm going to catch a pretty little fairy and have some fun with her." He leaned closer to Borgin and watched the older man's pupils dilate, "Let me assure you that what I am trying to do will certainly help the cause."

Borgin sniffed and cocked his head; a lank hank of hair fell across his wrinkled brow, "And, just how is this fairy chit going to benefit our goal?"

"Wouldn't you like to see the Dark Lord rise again?" his dark eyes pierced faded gray orbs.

His voice low and gravely, Borgin leaned closer until his nose was inches from Dolohov's face. Dolohov could smell stale tobacco smoke on his breath, "Of course, but how can this fairy help and why would she?"

"I'm not giving her a choice." Dolohov's eyes were mere slits and his voice was a mere hiss.

Borgin stood ramrod straight and walked into a dark room behind the counter. Dolohov listened as items were shifted amongst the shelves. In a matter of moments, he returned.

"The enchantments are still sturdy on this piece," he plunked a slightly rusted fine net made of iron mesh onto the counter. His brow furrowed quizzically, "do you even know how to use it?"

Dolohov listened as Borgin detailed the way in which the net was to be cast and he memorized several charms that were used to bind a captive with the device. He was listening to Borgin reminisce about his younger days when he and Burk would find secluded woods and wait for young fairy maidens that were drawn to enchanted springs. They would catch them and have their way with the very young ones. He was thoroughly disgusted with the old pedophile, but he maintained his demeanor until the bell on the door rang signaling Yaxley's return.

"I have the location of Snape's home, and I asked Lucius to check on the book. Have you asked Borgin?" Yaxley looked from Dolohov to Borgin, but the elderly Wizard was suspiciously close lipped.

Dolohov shook his head, "We are looking for a tomb, the Leabhar dar Marbh, The Book of the Dead, have you any knowledge of it?"

Borgin stared at the two wizards mutely.

"Well?" Yaxley yelled impatiently.

"Ferris," his eyes narrowed, "you'll have to contact Ferris, and if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Malfoy has likely already done so."

Dolohove and Yaxley's eyes met. "It seems our dear friend Lucius has been busy," Yaxley growled.

* * *

Severus was listening to Beth breathing deeply as she cuddled next to him. He felt a teasing of his senses. Someone was testing the wards on his home. He carefully extracted himself from Beth, and made his way to her front window to get a look at the intruders. He waited for a moment and felt the wards give way. He was not worried about anything being stolen. Most of his possessions were hexed to react violently when taken from the house. He chuckled darkly and made his way to the front door.

* * *

Yaxley and Dolohov apparated to the ratty little neighborhood that Lucius had been kind enough to tell them about. Snape's home was the small gray house on the corner. The windows were dark, and there were no street lamps to be had in such an area. So, they made their way quietly to his home hoping to catch him unaware. It was quite likely that he was at Hogwarts, but he was known to stay at his family home during the summer.

The two wizards carefully disengaged his wards and set about identifying the magical signatures left in the home. Dolohov ran a trace, "He's nearby!" he whispered loudly, "But, he is not here."

They exited the home and felt a pull towards the neighbor's house.

"Could we really be this fortunate?" Yaxley's eyebrows rose far on his forehead as he stared at Dolohove in the dim twilight.

Dolohov gave him a rather large cat-like grin, "We've just been handed our chance I do believe. I want you to head to the back of the house while I enter the front. He'll have set wards, so be very careful to disengage them quietly. With any luck, we will catch them unawares."

The two men set off quietly. In the cloak of darkness, they were mere shadows creeping along the quiet neighborhood. Dolohov crouched down near the porch as he heard the front door open. He remained still as he watched Snape head across the yard and into his house.

* * *

Severus walked into his home and reengaged his wards. However, a quick scan of the house told him that the intruders had left as quickly as they had entered. They likely ran afoul of some nasty hex he had set, but he could not determine whether anything had been tampered with. As he stood in his study, he felt the tale-tell tingle of someone attempting to disengage the wards he had set on Beth's house. He turned quickly; his hawklike glare looked through is study window and settled on the dark house next door. He saw the dark shadow quietly enter the front door, the front door he had conveniently left open. "Fuck!" he uttered harshly and ran from the room.

* * *

Yaxley entered the back door and waited for Dolohov to join him in the kitchen. Dolohov withdrew the net and eased into the nearest bedroom. They watched the loan sleeping form roll on the bed. The lovely woman was conveniently alone and unaware. They stretched the net out quietly before approaching the bed. They laid it gently over the covers that held her sleeping form. With a simple flick of the wrist and a muttered charm the woman was bound covers and all in the constricting net. From shoulder to foot, she was held tightly within the confines of the net. She yelped loudly as she woke to find herself being lifted off the bed and levitated by a spell.

Yaxley and Dolohov jumped as the front door was thrown open with a loud bang. "Grab her!" Dolohov yelled as Severus entered the room eyes blazing and hair flying.

"Expelliarmus!" Dolohov flicked his wand and Severus' wand flew from his hand.

He watched as Yaxley grabbed Beth. Fury swept through Severus as he watched Beth hover helplessly in the air. As Yaxley reached for the woman, Severus was guided by some unknown force. He threw out his hand and a blue bold of energy shot forth slamming Yaxley in the chest and propelling the man across the room. Yaxley out of commission, Severus sent another bold toward Dolohov who deflected it with a flick of his wand. Severus flicked his wrist setting a shield as he ran across the room to Beth. He faced Dolohov waiting for the Wizard to attack.

Dolohov's eyes shifted from Snape to the limp form of Yaxley where he lay helplessly on the floor. He sent a barrage of offensive spells at Severus, which the man blocked effortlessly. Enraged, Severus pulled back his hand, and in his palm, a large white ball of energy coalesced. Dolohov's eyes grew large and he ran from the room as Severus hurled the white, hot orb at him. He dashed to the floor and apparated away. Yaxley had come to as Dolohov was running from the room, and he wisely chose to apparate to their meeting point.

Severus watched as the two attackers escaped. He was furious. His hair and skin crackled with energy. Finally, he calmed enough to focus on Beth, and he quickly released her from the constrictive net. Beth fell into his arms, and he clutched her to him tightly. "We need to head back to Hogwarts, now," he said, his brows were drawn together in a fierce glare. Beth could only nod as he held onto her. He grabbed the net before apprating them both back to the quiet clearing just outside of the school gates. They made their way swiftly up the drive as the moonlight lit their way.


End file.
